Test For Free This January; Resolve to Improve Your Brain’s Health with Some Help from American Mensa

 

January 03, 2013

Challenging one's mind has been linked to cognitive well being. American Mensa, the High IQ organization, is encouraging the public to start off 2013 with a resolution to do better by their brains.

American Mensa is offering their online home test for free in the month of January so the public may test their brain’s capabilities. This online test, designed to give a preview of what it is like to take the official Mensa qualifying test The test is a great way to exercise your brain and is available for free starting January 1 through January 31, 2013. The test is regularly priced at $18.00.

Research has revealed that exercising your mind by participating in activities such as crossword puzzles, learning new languages, and learning how to play musical instruments, can benefit your mind’s abilities. “Cognitive well being improves our lives, and it becomes even more crucial as we age,” said American Mensa’s Supervisory Psychologist Dr. Frank Lawlis.

Here are some additional smart tips to help benefit your brain:

1. Read a book. Reading inspires new thoughts, provides new perspectives and can expand an individual's vocabulary by stimulating neural pathways.

2. Be puzzled. Puzzles, like analogies, crosswords, anagrams etc., appear to improve our minds. Even games as simple as 20 questions have some benefit to the brain, as it requires verbal reasoning.

3. Break your routine. The term “neurobics” was created by Dr. Lawrence Katz to describe activities that engage the brain in specific ways. These activities break a routine, involve multiple senses and require you to pay attention.

4. Relax. Try meditation to relieve stress, as it positively impacts cerebral performance.

The mission of American Mensa is to identify and foster human intelligence, as well as provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members. Mensa is the organization open to anyone who scores in the top two percent on an accepted, standardized intelligence test. Mensa has more than 57,000 members in the United States and more than 110,000 members around the world. For more information about Mensa, or to apply for membership, call (800) 66-MENSA.