If you’re wondering if you can improve your IQ, the answer is yes. Let’s say your mental health professional provided you with a standardized IQ test such as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale test, or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults. Was your IQ a lower number than you hoped for, and you were disappointed that your IQ was lower than you thought?
Don’t worry about your score on these IQ tests too much. Can you improve your IQ? Absolutely. Your IQ (intelligence quotient) is not a set number you’re stuck with. Your IQ can be increased and nurtured over time. There are exercises to increase your IQ, for example, and many ways to expand your intellectual capacity and increase your intellectual potential.
For example, my CircleDNA report indicated that I have a high IQ, but does that mean I can’t get myself to the ‘gifted’ level of intelligence? No, because I can improve my IQ in various ways.
It’s easy to disregard your IQ as a set number or fixed component of your identity. However, your IQ is not set in stone. In fact, there’s no such thing as a fixed IQ score that stays the same. There’s no such thing as a person who is doomed to always have a low IQ, especially if that person is motivated to expand their intellectual potential. Your intelligence level is constantly evolving, especially if you take on an active role in taking steps to increase your IQ.
You can improve your mental fitness, just as you can improve your physical fitness. Your brain can be exercised and strengthened, just like your muscular strength can be improved with regular gym sessions. With the right IQ-boosting exercises and a certain level of commitment, your IQ can increase, paving the way for greater intelligence, faster thinking, and more efficient problem-solving.
Research shows human beings are capable of improving their IQ through intellectual training and cognitive exercises. Let’s explore the truth about your IQ, and what you can do to increase it.
What is an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Level?
Your IQ, or “Intelligence Quotient”, is a measurement of your intellectual potential and intelligence using standardized testing.
People take IQ tests all the time, to find out if they have a higher or lower IQ. Motivated and dedicated people who have a low IQ score tend to make the effort to improve their IQ with various brain-boosting and intelligence-boosting exercises.
Can You Improve Your IQ Even if You’re Not Genetically Blessed With a High IQ?
A person’s ‘Intelligence Quotient’ isn’t necessarily passed down directly through genetics, but your DNA can somewhat influence your intellectual potential. Everyone is born with a specific capacity to learn, and it’s up to them to decide if they want to nurture and grow their IQ to the peak of its potential or not.
In other words, even if your DNA test tells you that it’s in your genes to have a likelier lower IQ, you can fight against your genetics by doing exercises to increase your IQ and expand your intellectual potential.
It’s nice to find out via a DNA test if you’re genetically more likely to have a higher or lower IQ, because this way, you get a sense of how much harder you might have to work to increase your IQ. You can certainly achieve this goal if you put your mind to it.
Your IQ is Not a Set Number You’re Stuck With
Whether you’re genetically blessed with a high IQ or not, you can increase your IQ with many strategies. Your IQ test score is not a number you’re stuck with. Your diet, nutrition, sleep, education, home environment and even the people you surround yourself with can all be factors that increase your IQ. The choice to regularly engage in brain-boosting exercises that improve cognitive function can help increase your IQ as well.
In one study, researchers linked maternal IQ to child IQ in all pregnancies. If your parents have a high IQ, you’re likely to have a high IQ as well. This is why DNA tests can search for genetic markers within your genes which have an impact on your level of intelligence. Try a CircleDNA test for a comprehensive report that includes your genetic likelihood to have a higher or lower IQ.
Of course, your genes are just one piece of the puzzle. Researchers have found that genetic factors account for about 50% of the difference in IQ levels among individuals. However, intelligence is also strongly influenced by our environment, education, nutrition, and more.
Even if you don’t have a higher genetic predisposition to intelligence, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t increase your IQ. Remember, IQ is a measurement of not just your intelligence, but your intellectual potential. Placing yourself in mentally challenging and stimulating situations can help to sharpen your brain’s abilities.
How to Change and Increase Your Current IQ Score
Many exercises can increase your IQ. Can you improve your IQ by reading more books, participating in memory-reliant brain stimulation exercises, or learning new skills? Absolutely. These are just some of many exercises that can increase your IQ, especially if done regularly with dedication and commitment.
In other words, don’t get discouraged by a low IQ score or a DNA test that indicates a lower likelihood of having a high IQ. Since over 50% of a person’s IQ is determined by lifestyle choices, environment, self-discipline, education and constant love of learning, you’re never going to be stuck with a set IQ score. Keep exercising your brain, and take another IQ test. You’ll see your IQ score increasing, which will only motivate you to learn more ways to improve your IQ.
