Intelligence, as most attributes, is not something given magically by nature. While some characteristics may allow you to develop your thinking easier, in general intelligence is something that can be improved by dedicated practice. These are a few ways to improve your IQ. 1) Write down your thoughts. By noting down everything that comes to mind, you help your brain de-clutter, organise and handle things more efficiently. 2) Pay attention to your breath. Breathing is a mechanism to control your inner self, your thoughts and fears. 3) Play mind games and puzzles. Games like Sudoku or Scrabble allows you to improve your strategic thinking: they are called mind games for a reason. 4) Starve your brain. This may seem weird, but actually depriving your body from food can have energizing effects, when done strategically. 5) Challenge your mind. Don’t allow routine to take over. When learning new skills, your brain has to adapt to new situations and thus, it keeps being sharp. Mind and body are closely intertwined, in such ways that training the one affects the other. 7) Play music. Learning a musical instrument will energize aspects of your brain that you wouldn’t expect. 8) Stay away from machines. Modern technology allows you to let machines do everything you need; organize your schedule, remind you things, complete your errands. When you rely too much on them, you allow your brain to do idle.