Being unemployed can land a painful blow to your self-esteem, but you don’t have to let it happen. Let your unemployment work for you as a tool for growth that can allow you to find more from life. The following blog posts will help guide you through it all with ideas on staying positive, resources for surviving a recession, help with finding a job, interview tips, information just for women, unemployment humor, and even plenty of inspiration.

Staying Positive

Staying positive while unemployed is important for your health as well as to help you focus on the next phase of your career.

1. 10 Valuable Tips to keep Spirits High during Recession. Follow these tips to ensure you keep a good frame of mind while making it through these times.
2. Beating Recession Anxiety Naturally. Learn how to take care of yourself and reduce anxiety with these tips.
3. Lookin’ on the Bright Side. This short reminder to look for opportunities to stay positive is a beautiful one.
4. How to Think Positively. Learn how stay positive no matter what life throws your way.
5. Steps to Maintaining a Positive Attitude. These eight tips will help you stay positive in the face of adversity.
6. Amazing Opportunity. While relating the story of her interview with a reporter from LA Times, this woman shares some of the positive aspects of her unemployment–or "funemployment."
7. Ten ways to stay positive while unemployed. This advice will help you find a positive attitude while getting your feet back on the ground.
8. Tips for Unemployed Job Seekers…Stay Positive!. Learn why staying positive is important when looking for a job.
9. Unemployed? What You Can Do to Maintain a Positive Attitude. Learn how to stay both positive and proactive when you find yourself without a job.
10. Hired: Remain positive, network if you’re unemployed. Look at how you can turn perceived negatives into positives here.

Survival Resources

These blog posts will help you survive unemployment.

11. Seven Tips for the Newly Unemployed. If you just lost your job, then check out this blog post for some smart ideas.
12. 100 tips,tools, and resources-to help you survive without a job. This listing offers articles and guides, useful sites, and things to read before looking for your next job.
13. Mi casa, su casa. Want to rent a room (so I can keep my house)?. Read about this creative way one woman is saving her house.
14. How to Talk So Unemployed People Will Listen and Listen so Unemployed People Will Talk. Based on a parenting technique, these tips are great for friends and family who aren’t sure how to talk to their loved ones who are out of work.
15. #110 Contemplating Going Back to School to Put off Working. While written in a humorous tone, this article offers some valid points to consider if you are thinking about going back to school after being laid off.
16. Stress and Financial Crisis – Dealing With The Stress of a Financial Crisis. Learn how to deal with the stress that comes with financial concerns.
17. How to Handle Your Anger After a Layoff. Read this article to understand how and why you should let go of your anger.
18. A survival guide for the unemployed. From the emotional to the financial, find out what you can do to survive being unemployed.
19. I Just-Got-Laid-Off Survival Kit (including how to find $100k+ job opportunities ). These five tips will help you feel empowered as you make changes to adjust to your lay-off.
20. What To Do When You are Suddenly Laid-Off. Here are some sensible ways to manage your unexpected unemployment.
21. Camp for laid-off professionals. Learn about this new concept where professionals can brainstorm about the next phase of their lives.

Just for Women

From family to fashion, these blog posts are especially for unemployed women.

22. LA Moms Blog: Unemployment puts new spin on feminism. Find out how being forced to stay home after a lifetime of career has changed this mom’s perspective.
23. Diaries of a Temp, Chapter 24: Underemployed Dating for Dummies. Here’s a list of men you really don’t want to date.
24. Losing my job was a gift to my kids. This mom has older kids and her job loss helped her recognize how it was a gift to her children as they watched her handle it.
25. Need Free Fashion Advice? All You Need is a Little TLC. Read how this TV show can help you improve your fashion image, which may help you land a job.
26. A recruiter’s job hunting tips. This article offers advice to women on dressing for a job fair or interview.
27. When Both Of You Are Laid Off. Find a link and a brief description of a Wall Street Journal report on households where couples are both losing their jobs.
28. What Laid-Off Women Need To Consider Before Starting Their Own Businesses. Read these four important considerations before starting your own business to help ensure its success.
29. Pregnant and Laid Off. Find out what the Evil HR Lady has to say about laying off a woman who is about to go on maternity leave.

Humor

Find the funny side of unemployment with these blog posts.

30. Living with Less. Learn about this new online cartoon strip that features Les, a laid-off Wall Street exec who moves back in with his parents.
31. More things I do to keep busy while I’m laid off. Depending on your style, you probably don’t want to do these things while laid off, but it definitely adds a little humor to being without work.
32. Sex and Unemployment: Boom or Bust. This former executive producer from NPR takes a very informal look at whether the recession is affecting sex practices negatively or positively.
33. The �What Kind of Recession Survivor Am I?� Quiz. Take this silly quiz to find out what kind of recession survivor you are.
34. My Moral Compass is Broken. Here’s a post relating what it’s like when the job you’ve taken to make it through the lay-off begins to change your life.
35. Merchandising the recession. Part 2. Find some pretty funny recession t-shirts here.
36. You Might be Unemployed if…. This funny list offers insight on some of the ways life changes when you become unemployed.
37. The Queens unemployment workout. See what happens when your last excuse to stay away from the gym is eliminated.
38. Interviewed for Job. Check out this fun combination of haiku and cartoon, then browse through the rest of this blog for more unemployed funniness.

Business Success Stories

Whether striking out on their own after a layoff or businesses finding the secret to survive during tough times, these blog posts share stories of business success.

39. Raising Money in Recession. Read how this woman raised the money for her business despite the recession.
40. The Global Economic Crisis� Effects on Business. This article looks at ways that businesses can stay afloat during tough times.
41. Faces of the Recession: Epic Systems. Learn about this medical software company that is facing the recession head-on.
42. Inspiration: Go from Unemployed to Entrepreneur. Follow the link here to read about a man who is considering taking the leap to start his own business.
43. 10 Inspirational Online Business Stories. These folks did it, so why can’t you?
44. A Reality Check for the Self Employment Dream. Give yourself a reality check by going through these points of consideration before embarking on your own business venture.
45. When (Not) in Doubt, Hire Yourself. This post offers a realistic look at the ups and downs of starting your own business.
46. Entrepreneurs: Set Sail, Watch Out For Dragons. Read about these entrepreneurs who made the best of their situations to create better ones.

Finding a Job

Use the information in these blog posts to find your next job.

47. 25 Well-Paying Jobs that Most People Overlook (and Why).This post mostly serves to highlight jobs that pay well, but are not very popular. It helps to open your mind to new perspectives, though.
48. Job hunting? Send your resume to Crains. Learn about this opportunity to have your resume included at Crain’s New York Business.
49. 5 Phrases That Can Poison Your Resume. Find out what you shouldn’t include on your resume here.
50. Using Your Blog as a Job Search Tool. Read this article to learn how to use your blog to find a job.
51. Recession Job Search Tips for New Graduates. Use these tips to help you weather the storm if you are a new grad looking for a job.
52. The Ten Keys to Success at Job and Career Fairs. Find out ten steps that will guarantee your success at a career or job fair.
53. How to Find a Low-Stress Job. If your layoff was a blessing in disguise, find out how to find a job that’s right for your personality with this article.
54. Plan Your Job Search Like a Wedding. This fresh perspective offers great advice for how to plan and execute your job search.
55. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Learn why it might be smart to simplify when job searching.
56. Construction Management Degrees. This blog contains a number of articles about cutting expenses and finding a job which are updated regularly.
57. Lying on Your Resume. This blog post examines why people lie on their resume and whether it is a good idea or not.
58. The Job Seeker’s Top 10 List. This awesome list offers a great perspective as well as sound advice for job seekers.

Interviewing

Once you’ve landed the interview, use this help to make sure you give the best impression possible.

59. The Ten Worst Job Interview Questions Ever. Of course you can’t control what questions you’ll be asked when interviewed, but here are ten bad ones.
60. #106 Sabotaging Their Only Interview in Months. This tongue-in-cheek post highlights some of the things you seriously don’t want to do in an interview.
61. When Job Hunting: Dress for Success. Find out what to wear to an interview as well as other helpful information such as how to get donations if you can’t afford interview clothes.
62. Fifty Standard Interview Questions. Practice answering the questions on this list to ensure you aren’t caught by surprise during the big interview.
63. Candidate Interview Questions. Be prepared to ask a few questions yourself with these lists of interviewee questions.
64. Phone Interviewing Success. Phone interviews are often the first chance you will have to secure a job and becoming a normal part of interviewing, so brush up on what to do here.
65. When a Job Offer is Put on Hold. In the current job market, this possibility may not be out of the question, so find out what to do if it happens to you.
66. Job Interview Videos. From the worst interview ever to helpful tips, watch these videos to improve your interviewing skills.
67. Answer Strategies to Common Interview Questions. Be prepared for your next interview with these strategies for answering questions that are likely to come up.
68. Why Did You Leave (or are you planning to leave) Your Last Job?. No matter what your reason for leaving your last job, this article offers tips on how to answer this question during an interview.

Saving Money

Use these tips to learn how to save money while you are unemployed.

69. 5 Tips for Saving Money While Unemployed. These tips are smart ways to save while your income is reduced or eliminated.
70. Money Saving Tips from the Military. Follow these suggestions for things you can do around the house to save money.
71. Three Homemade Natural Cleaning Products. Don’t waste your money on expensive and toxic cleaners when these three basics can clean almost anything–even better than the commercial products.
72. 12 Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill. Everyone likes lower bills, so read this to find out what you can do.
73. Cell Phone Bills and How to Cut the Costs. Find out what you can do to reduce or eliminate your cell phone bill.
74. Groupon: A New Way to Find Discounts. Maybe you won’t have to stop pampering yourself with this new option.
75. 101 Ways to Use Less Gas. Learn what you can do to save money on gas.
76. Best sites online to watch movies for free. This post gives the low-down on all the best places to find free online movies.
77. A free TV site that beats Hulu, Veoh. If you like old TV shows, then you must read this. Even if you prefer newer shows, still check this article out as it touches on Hulu and Veoh just a bit.
78. Frugal Valentine’s Day Gifts. These ideas are great for gift giving way beyond Valentine’s day. Remember these ideas for inexpensive birthday, anniversary, and other holiday gifts.
79. Unemployed Boomers: Stay Green and Save Money With These Tips. If you are over 50 and unemployed, find out what you can do to save money.
80. Learn to Avoid Excessive Bank Fees. These tips will help you keep your money in the bank instead of giving it to the bank.

Simplifying

While you are unemployed is an excellent opportunity to learn how to simplify your life. Find out how and why with these blog posts.

81. My Life, Downsized. Read about this family’s move to a smaller house and what they learned along the way.
82. Xeriscape. Less is definitely more when it comes to your yard. Find out how it saves you money with this article.
83. Save money with a home gym. Learn how you can let that expensive gym membership go and still stay in shape.
84. Recycling Tips…How To Reuse Everyday Objects. Simplify while saving money and the earth with these smart ideas.
85. Electric Traditions. This trick will not only save a dollar a day, but will teach you to appreciate what you have.
86. How to Be A One Car Family. Read these families’ experiences of becoming a one-car family.
87. Recipes for a home spa night. Pampering yourself doesn’t require hundreds of dollars at a spa, so try these simple and relaxing recipes to rid yourself of unemployment stress.
88. Staycation. Take a holiday at home with these great staycation ideas.
89. Recession Benefit � More Family Time and Better Health. Simplifying life during a recession has great benefits for the family.
90. 6 Reasons to Simplify Your Life Now. This newly unemployed blogger looks at why now is a great time to start simplifying life.

Inspiration

These posts all focus on sharing inspiration with the unemployed.

91. TRE on MatadorLife.com. Read about these two brothers who traveled across the country to interview people touched by the recession–with little money of their own.
92. NPR Reports on Long Term Unemployment. Find a link to an NPR story that profiles some inspirational folks surviving unemployment.
93. Faces of the Recession: John Dolza, 40. Learn how this man turned his unemployment into a benefit for his community.
94. How to Use the Power of Perspective. This article will help you see the importance of keeping your perspective and shares examples of famous people who overcame adversity through the power of perspective.
95. Measure of a Man: Unemployed Man Seeks Identity. Read an important reminder about not judging ourselves or others by what they do for a living.
96. Ten things to do while you are waiting on God promises to manifest. If you are religious, these ten tips may offer comfort and inspiration while you are unemployed.
97. The Layoff Mixtape. For those who are laid-off and love hip hop, this mixtape offers inspiration.
98. Nurse Practitioner Program. This woman’s story of career success and entrepreneurship are an inspiration to others who have been displaced.
99. Laid-off fashion writer chronicles journey in Vogue. Read how this woman made the best of her situation.
100. 100 Things to Do If You’ve Been Laid Off: Laid off and in Need of Inspiration. This installment of the 100 things offers 14 suggestions if you are in need of inspiration.

By Tara Miller

Now that you’ve completely moved your entire life onto the Internet, does it make sense to try to keep it organized on a sheet of paper? These 100 awesome online journal tools are designed to let you record, collect, edit and track everything you can think of, literally. From health and fitness goals to personal projects to self-development to travel, these tools can help you make the kind of progress you never thought was possible.

Multimedia

Use these tools to snip, store and share photos, audio, and videos for your journal.

1. Flickr: This online photo journal is searchable and lets you share your pictures.
2. Picasa: Google’s photo sharing and management tool lets you organize and share web albums.
3. Vimeo: If you like to express yourself through the videos you make, join this community to post, share and organize.
4. SmugMug: SmugMug is an oft-praised site that lets you safely store personalized galleries of high-quality photos.
5. Project Playlist: Here you can create playlists as a way of expressing yourself.
6. Gcast: Gcast is a site that can help you create your own podcast, an innovative way to journal and share your point of view.
7. Photobucket: With Photobucket, you can sync your photo journal to your accounts on MySpace, Facebook, Blogger and more.
8. Revver: Revver is another video sharing site that lets you create your own profile.
9. Purevolume: Purevolume lets you set up a profile, explore music, comment on what you like, and share your playlist.
10. Get Your Groove On: This site is for songwriters who want to organize their music, work on lyrics and get feedback from friends.

Diet and Fitness

Keep a food and exercise log to track your progress and stick with your plan.

11. FitDay: With FitDay, you can track your foods, exercise routines, calorie counts and more.
12. My Calorie Counter: Use this site’s free online diet and exercise journal to track your weight loss progress and look up nutrition information for popular fast food restaurants.
13. MyFitnessPal: This online diet journal features message boards, a free interface, calorie and carb counter,and more.
14. The Daily Plate: Use The Daily Plate to track meals, calories, exercise and weight loss on a simple but attractive platform.
15. SparkPeople: This social network of serious dieters and fitness enthusiasts comes with personal tools to track food intake, recipes, exercise progress and more.
16. NutritionData: Besides looking up nutrition information, you can organize your favorite foods, keep a daily food log, collect recipes, and more.
17. eDiets: eDiets helps you find the right diet for you, and provides tools like an online food tracker and diet journal.
18. My Fitness Page: This collection of tools helps you journal and track your fitness goals and progress.
19. SmallStep.gov: Here you can track your activity and exercise progress and receive a certificate when you’ve met your goals.
20. FitWatch: Find printable food journals and fitness trackers here.
21. Gimme20: Track your overall wellness, as well as specific fitness and diet goals.

Medical

These medical journals are designed to help you stay organized and store any questions, symptoms or concerns you have about your health.

22. Track Your Drinking Habits: Discover how much you’re actually drinking — and how it impacts your health — with this tool.
23. Health monitor Personal Health Log: Use this template to track personal health goals, medical information and more.
24. Dental Assisting School: This online blog provides regular updates about the latest in dental health technology and lets you comment with your own experiences.
25. Family Health Tracker: This tool lets you track vitals, weight, medications, appointments and more.

Note-taking

When you want a journal to organize and store notes, use these tools to make more sense of your chaotic habits.

26. Evernote: Evernote is a note-taking tool that helps you remember everything. You can pull photos, audio and text from anywhere on the web to store in one spot.
27. Zotero: Zotero is marketed as a research citation tool, but you can also use it to collect favorite web pages, images, PDFs, rich-text notes and more.
28. Toodledo: Use Toodledo for more than just to-do lists. You can also take notes, set goals, reflect on your tasks, and more.
29. Kwiry: This tool helps you journal when you’re out in the field. Take photos, text, and record voice messages so that it’s all saved for later.
30. Wikispaces: This system lets anyone create their own wiki to use as a word processor, image and file platform, and more.
31. Springnote: With Springnote, you can create a personal notebook or manage a group project to share files, keep a calendar, customize pages and record your notes.
32. Purple Bunny: Purple Bunny lets you journal while you discover new sites by creating space for you to write comments and notes in the margin of web pages.
33. Notefish: Notefish is another online research tool that’s also great for journaling and discovering. You can save web pages, customize notes, drag and drop, and more.
34. FreeMind: This tool allows you to journal and gain perspective through a mind-mapping interface.
35. WebAsyst: This online notepad features cataloging, sharing and safe storing online.

Travel

Discover more about yourself and new places when you keep a travel journal online.

36. MyTripJournal: This site gives space to travelers who want to share their experiences and recommend travel destinations to others.
37. TravelPod: TravelPod hosts all kinds of travel blogs that incorporate photos, video and featured trips into their stories.
38. IgoUgo: This social site for travelers features trip planning assistance, a community and travel journaling.
39. Traveljournals.net: Upload pictures, travel stories and more so that your friends and family can keep up with you while you’re away.
40. TravelBlog: Here you can discover new destinations and hotspots while chronicling your own world travels.
41. Off Exploring: This cute, snappy online travel journal platform welcomes travelers to upload unlimited photos and even lets them print their online version as a book.
42. Hotel Management School: On the Hotel Management School Blog travelers share experiences, and the moderator discusses the latest in travel technology and gadgets.
43. TravelPost: Journal, find itineraries and get tips on traveling to places around the U.S.
44. GoAbroad.net: This network connects travelers going to the same places and lets them log on to create their own travel journals.
45. TripAdvisor: Write articles about your trip to help others visiting the same area find deals and cool things to do.
46. Travellerspoint: Travellerspoint hosts free online travel journals that can be linked to online photos and privacy options.

Finance and Wealth

These journals are designed to help you meet your financial goals, get out of debt and plan for the future.

47. Mint.com: Track your budgeting and expenses with this online finance journal.
48. Wesabe: This finance community pools together information about getting out of debt and managing your money. You can join groups, track your accounts and record notes.
49. SocialPicks: Here you can track your investments, map out how you want to spend your money, and more.
50. Cake Financial: This site is popular with everyday investors who want to store all of their portfolios, notes, investments and more in one spot.
51. Geezeo: With Geezeo, you can organize your notes, questions and plans for better financial management.
52. SimpliFi: SimpliFi is goal tracking for people who want to map out and organize their finance plans.

Social and Relationships

These social sites open up journaling to friends, family and even the greater public.

53. Yoono: Yoono is a platform that syncs up your social media accounts and lets you update your status and share all of your links, photos and pages from one spot.
54. LiveJournal: Blog along with your community on LiveJournal.
55. Facebook: Keep all of your favorite photos, videos, links, thoughts, moods, likes and dislikes, and favorite activities logged on Facebook, where your friends can check out what’s new with you.
56. MySpace: MySpace is still an immensely popular online journaling tool that lets you customize pages and record any thoughts or inspirations you want to share.
57. Pageflakes: With Pageflakes, you can create your own homepage centered around your favorites, your notes, photos and more, creating a centralized journal experience.
58. Digg: Digg is all about discovering new sites and news stories and then commenting on them. Before you know it, your profile will have turned into a journal of your evolving interests.
59. Twitter: This microblogging platform lets you post mini, public journal snippets of your thoughts, favorite sites, mood and more.
60. Diigo: Annotate, highlight, take notes and share websites with Diigo.
61. BigContacts: Use this tool as a journal for all of your communications and contacts. You can save histories, store files and photos, create reports of certain tasks, and more.
62. Google Groups: With Google Groups, you can set up continuously running threads of journal entries with your friends.

Goal Tracking

Journals are often used to track goals and make plans for the future. Use these tools for goal tracking.

63. 43 Things: This network includes members who like to share their goals and hold themselves accountable by letting the world keep up with their progress.
64. Joe’s Goals: Joe’s Goals is a popular but simple goal tracking chart.
65. MyGoalManager: With this tool, you can outline, organize, add images to and add to your goals list.
66. Remember the Milk: This to-do list also serves as a running goal tracker that lets you customize tasks, jot down notes and more.
67. The Goals Grid: Consider The Goals Grid your own personal journal for tracking a specific project.
68. myGoals: Get tips for setting goals and find space for creating your own goal journal.
69. iijournal: Here you can journal to track health, career, financial and spiritual goals.
70. MyProgress: MyProgress has room for tracking skills, wealth and discipline.

Projects

Keep a journal for your specific projects to use as a reference later on and to help you keep everything straight as you go.

71. Zoho: Zoho’s Office Suite is free and features a notebook, presentation tool, spreadsheets, a Wiki, online organizer, project management software and a lot more.
72. Basecamp: Basecamp has room for all kinds of projects and files. Store notes, charts, schedules, to-do lists, histories and more.
73. Wridea: Organize your ideas and goals with this online journal that lets you form new pages, themes and more.
74. WriteWith: Use WriteWith to manage projects and store all of your chats, tasks lists and project history in one journal.
75. Box.net: Create a journal comprised of your important files and tasks with Box.net.
76. Backpack: Backpack is another 37 signals package that lets you store, share and organize notes, to-do lists, scheduling, photos, and more.
77. yWriter5: This free word processor is a collaboration tool for those who want to store, save and share large writing projects.
78. LooseStitch: LooseStitch is a colorful project manager that is also a great online journal.
79. Writeboard: Keep a journal of your next writing project with Writeboard, which lets you work with other users, too.

Organization

Record your notes, messages, to-do lists and more in one spot with these journals and organizers.

81. Jott: Sync your voicemail, e-mail and text messaging so that you can send yourself notes, reminders and ideas with speech-to-text features.
82. NetNotes: Use this tool to store all the notes you take across the Internet with your bookmarks.
83. Journler: This free Mac tool works as an online journal and life organizer.
84. Vitalist: Use Vitalist to organize projects, annotate and analyze your to-do lists, and more.
85. VoodooPad Lite: This free tool welcomes you to record all kinds of thoughts, ideas, projects and more.
86. Linux TuxCards: This online journal for Linux organizes notes, tasks, and more.
87. ZuluPad: Set up your own personal Wiki notepad with ZuluPad.
88. The Brain: Use The Brain to make the connections between your files, ideas and notes that make sense to you.
89. Mindomo: With Mindomo, you can create a mind-mapping system that mirrors your project plan, to-do lists, goals and more.
90. xPad: This is "the ultimate notepad" for Mac users and combines the powers of Stickies and TextEdit.

Blogging and Diaries

Blogs are basically online journals that are open to the general public. Explore how blogging and online diaries can benefit your personal growth.

91. Wordpress: Wordpress is a popular, free blogging platform that lets you post pictures, video, audio and more.
92. Blogger: Google’s blogging resource is easy-to-use and highly customizable.
93. TypePad: This more sophisticated blogging system lets you build your own community, create podcasts, add widgets, and more.
94. Tumblr: Tumblr markets itself as being "the easiest way to blog" and lets you customize everything.
95. Xanga: Xanga is a social blogging site that lets you share yourself with a vibrant community.
96. DiaryLand: This community welcomes diary writers and bloggers and lets you control who can and can’t access your journal.
97. Google Sites: Create a website for your own personal note-taking or to share with friends.
98. Open Diary: Start an online diary with this platform, which features unlimited storage.
99. My Personal Diary: This portal lets you create private or public diaries about anything you want.
100. Windows Live Spaces: Windows Live has created this platform for online journaling, networking, photo and video sharing, and more.

By Tara Miller

Almost everyone would love to take advantage of ways to boost their brain power and become smarter, no matter how smart they already are. Below are 25 scientifically proven ways you can do just this. From surprising activities such as watching TV or riding a motorcycle to brain-healthy nutrition choices, try a few of these ideas and see if you notice any improvement in your intelligence.

What You Can Do

These activities all offer ways to improve your cognitive abilities, so pick up a crossword puzzle, drink some water, and listen to some music to make yourself smarter.

1. Watch specific types of TV shows. Outlined in the book Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson, TV shows that include certain elements such as many overlapping plot strands, a relatively large number of primary characters, moral ambiguity, and no narrative hand-holding produce benefits for the views that build intelligence. Some examples of these types of shows include E.R., Alias, The West Wing, Six Feet Under, and 24.
2. Play video games. Not all video games may qualify for this, but researchers showed that 9 and 10 year-olds who played Dr Kawashima’s More Brain Training on the Nintendo DS displayed "dramatic" results when looking at math improvement and classroom behavior. The number challenges, problem-solving, and memory puzzles are likely what makes this game different from some others.
3. Social networking. According to a study reported in Discover Magazine, social interaction boosts synaptic activity, then sleep helps eliminate any unnecessary synapses, thereby boosting the positive ones. Granted, this study was done on fruit flies, but the idea is that by interacting socially, humans are creating more synapses, therefore increasing brain power.
4. Ride a motorcycle. The developer of Nintendo’s Brain Training software, Ryuta Kawashima, conducted an experiment on Japanese men in their 40s and 50s who had motorcycle licenses but hadn’t ridden in years. The men were split into two groups–one riding a motorcycle to work every day and one not. The motorcycle riders showed improved cognitive functioning and they also indicated that they made fewer mistakes at work and felt happier.
5. Age. Researchers have discovered that as the human brain ages, several processes begin to occur to improve the way the brain functions. Older brains have learned more, use more complex modes of processing, and the two hemispheres of these brains begin to work together more efficiently. The result is that when people reach their 40s and well beyond that, their brains are just beginning to work at peak efficiency, resulting in more wisdom and intelligence.
6. Drink water throughout the day. Just about everyone has heard that drinking water is good for your body, but some researchers say that drinking water throughout the day keeps your body hydrated more effectively, thereby providing more of the benefits of drinking water–including carrying nutrients and oxygen to your brain.
7. Get enough sleep. Getting the right amount of sleep (generally between 7 to 8 hours a night) allows your brain time to process the day by strengthening memories, and the connection between neurons, resulting in better recall. Find out your optimal amount of sleep, then engage in healthy sleep-promoting behaviors such as getting exercise and avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed to help boost your intelligence.
8. Listen to music. Several studies have shown a connection between listening to music can improve memory and boost skills in math and science. Listening to music also works to improve listening skills and focus as well as promotes relaxation.
9. Practice dual n-back exercises. These exercises were created by psychologist Susanne Jaeggi specifically to improve intelligence and are now available in several games, such as the open source version from Brain Workshop or a paid version for the iPhone called IQ boost.
10. Learn a foreign language. While most research focuses on teaching languages to young students, learning a new language at any age will provide your brain the opportunity to make new neural connections, which increases intelligence.
11. Practice Transcendental Meditation. This form of meditation requires practitioners to sit quietly with eyes closed while chanting a mantra. Studies have shown that Transcendental Meditation can improve the performance of high school and post-secondary students.
12. Stretch your memory. Learn from London taxi drivers, who must memorize all the streets in the city before taking on their job. Researchers have learned that these taxi drivers have a larger than normal hippocampus, suggesting a strong link between using memory and growing intelligence.
13. Work crossword puzzles. Working crossword puzzles on a regular basis keeps the mind sharp and holds dementia at bay as well. Don’t worry if you think you aren’t good at them, start easy and work your way up to more difficult ones.
14. Play chess. If you don’t already know how, learn how to play chess to help boost your intelligence. While many studies look at teaching students the game in order to help raise intelligence and problem-solving, it is also an excellent way for adults to do the same.

What You Can Eat

Good nutrition is tied to both a healthy body and a healthy brain, but some aspects of nutrition have been shown to improve intelligence and protect brain function. Find out what you can eat (and drink) to make yourself smarter.

15. Vitamin B. Vitamin B helps improve memory and mood. Studies have also shown a connection between mental decline in the elderly and a lack of B vitamins in their bodies. Eat plenty of foods high in B vitamins such as bananas, turkey, beans, lentils, and potatoes.
16. Fish oil. Whether you take high-quality supplements, eat fish such as wild salmon, or both, getting fish oil in your diet is an excellent way to make yourself smarter. Research has shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are the best type of oils for the best brain function.
17. Avoid artificial colors and flavorings. A study of one million students in New York showed that students who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes did 14% better on IQ tests than students who ate lunches with these additives. Eating naturally is not only better for your body, but helps raise intelligence, too.
18. Matcha. This stone-ground, powdered form of green tea is a super-concentrated version of the green tea that comes in tea bags. This form of green tea is an excellent way to increase mental alertness, improve focus, and is incredibly healthy.
19. Antioxidants. Eating foods that are high in antioxidants can help improve focus, problem-solving, and memory by combating free-radicals in your body. The best sources of antioxidants include blueberries, red kidney beans, cranberries, artichokes, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
20. Breakfast. It may be known as the most important meal of the day, but it is now considered the best meal for your brain too. Those who eat breakfast each day show improved focus, memory, creativity, and overall performance.
21. Ginkgo Biloba. This herb has been used since ancient times and increases blood flow to the brain and has been shown to reduce dementia, increase short-term memory, and improve focus.
22. Avocado. Avocados have monosaturated fat (the good fat), which increases blood flow. Increased blood flow promotes brain health. Avocados also help lower blood pressure, and high blood pressure is associated with reduced cognitive function.
23. Meat and fish. Eating a diet with lean meat and fish provides creatine for your body, which has shown to boost both memory and intelligence. There have been reports of athletes and students taking high levels of creatine supplements to get more mental and physical benefits from it, but naturally occurring creatine from meats are the best source for your body and brain.
24. Ginseng. Long used in the east as a mental stimulant that improves memory and brain function, a study done at Baylor College of Medicine indicates that ginseng actually may protect the brain. In this study, ginseng protected the brains of rats from toxins that replicate the effects of diseases such as Huntington’s and may also hold a clue to treating Parkinson’s.
25. Vitamin E. Vitamin E is beneficial to brain health as it works as a mild antioxidant. It also has been shown to reduce depression and to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Find vitamin E in nuts, leafy green vegetables, kiwi, and mango.

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