Power and effectiveness of education in mental development has long been recognized. Most human activities are controlled by thebrain. A balanced, healthy life is possible with proper education. Just like doing physical exercises after waking up in the morning keeps the body in good health & allows proper functioning, educating the mind sharpens the intellectual faculties. If you wish to develop your mind properly, you shouldmake education a way of your life.
Reading
This is easiest as well as most convenient way of developing a healthy mind. There is no age limit for reading, and anyone from 6 to 60 and even beyond can take up books on different topics of interest and educate the mind on the same. Books help to enhance knowledge about things unexplored and unseen, & allow you in knowing people and world from many varied angles. It helps youin exploring different countries and cultures without actually doing so.
Conversing
More you converse, better you can communicate your thoughts in an easy manner. Many people find it tough to converse & articulate their thoughts, which is a major reason for their social anxiety. However, stimulating conversations with knowledgeable individuals can help you in dealing with challenging and difficult situations that are faced on a daily basis. It is a great way to gather new experiences as well as develop theability to view things from different perspectives.
Music education
Listening to or playing music can be highly enjoyable, relaxing & entertaining. It also makes brain smarter, helping it to develop the powers of reasoning, better thinking, learning & solving different problems. It is said that complex tunes of master composers like Beethoven or Mozart allows cultivation of natural abilities and develops those brain sections which are needed for spatial reasoning and creative thinking.
From an extremely young age, the human brain is able to understand and differentiate between particular melodies. For this reason, parents are urged to sing nursery rhymes & lullabies to babies to help them develop their musical faculties and reduce their tension & anxiety, improve their concentration & mood. Playing with musical toys helps boost auditory, motor & sensory skills during later developmental stages.
Mathematics
While not everybody likes to crunch numbers, mathematics helps the brain in various ways. Using mathematics in everyday activities other than making simple calculations helps develop brain and keeps it sharp as well as active for a long time. It can help you to remember every lesson in a proper manner, and get theability to retain details in an effective manner. You can manipulate larger volumes of information more easily, & adapt to unpredictable or non-familiar situations in a more convenient manner.
Crossword puzzles
Studies have established a relationship between improved intelligence & brain power with crossword puzzles such as Sudoku. With advancing age, there is a reduction in the number of brain cells. Solving crossword puzzles each and every day helps keep brain sharp & allows it to be capable of learning new things daily. Your mind is also able to visualize new things, & power of imagination is enhanced.
Watching television
Watching TV is not only de-stressing. It is educative as well, when used properly. Watching educational programs for around a couple of hours every day, or on alternate days, can be useful for children. Adults can have a healthy mind with TV watching and enjoy a positive development of their mental powers. While TV viewing can be very addictive in nature, watching within limits can be educative & you can get information about people, places, behavior & other things. Much of these can be useful in the real world.
Drawing
Many people find drawing to be mentally stimulating, and not without reason. Drawing and painting can relax the mind and reduce stress levels very easily. It allows the mind to focus and demands all of the 10 different functions of the human eye:
- Rest
- Motion
- Proximity
- Distance
- Location
- Shape
- Color
- Body
- Light
- Darkness
Drawing is quite similar to meditation, in the sense that it trains the brain to focus on essential details as well as attend to the surroundings even more. Research shows that it is able to increase feelings of love, empathy and tolerance.
Activities like drawing and painting engagesright side of thebrain and involves the mind. In order to draw in a proper manner, you need to engage right brain hemisphere completely. On the other hand, left side of the brain is involved with analytical and logical reasoning. It helps you to remember memories of different objects.
Sports
The value of sports activities such as soccer, basketball & rugby is not only physical. These are developmental for themind as well, as you can learn team skills, cooperation, patience, humility, control & balance. There is scope for improving concentration tremendously. Games such as chess can keep mental faculties sharp for a long time. Studies reveal that it helps improve IQ, prevent Alzheimer’s, boosts memory, enhances creativity, exercises both hemispheres of human brain, raises memory capacity, increases problem-solving skills, enhances reading skills & teaches foresight as well as planning.
Regular involvement in sports activities can improve cognition and benefits overall well-being. Studies reveal that psycho-social skills, emotional intelligence & mental acuity are improved in sportspersons and athletes. Although over-straining can be damaging, participating in sports activities within limits helps improve learning skills & ability interact well with others. It is a great way of improving physical along with mental capabilities over a long time.
The importance of education is developing the mind cannot be overemphasized. Proper development of mental faculties is the focus of education, and educating the mind does not simply stop with school or university curriculums. It is a lifelong process that needs you to keep constantlylearning new things and challenge your brain. Education also includes gathering more experience on the way of life, and you should meet new people, explore new places as well as put yourself in new situations to be constantly in the correct path of development.