Intellectual wellness is the strong desire to learn from challenges and experiences. It encourages ongoing intellectual growth, and creative yet stimulating mental activities that provide the foundation to discover, process and evaluate information.

People with high intellectual well-being are able to concentrate, remember things and think clearly. They are dedicated to learning and to challenging themselves mentally, maintaining openness to exploring new ideas and perspectives and a willingness to think critically and make decisions for themselves. They possess the skills needed to succeed academically and professionally, such as time management, attention and listening. Traits of intellectually healthy people include:

Stretching and challenging their mind.

Pro-actively identifying and choosing appropriate courses of action.

Searching out learning resources.

Maintaining positive thought processes.

Expanding knowledge and skills while discovering the potential for sharing gifts with others.

Cherishing intellectual growth and stimulation.

Some of the fundamental conditions necessary for high levels of concentration and attention are:

Elimination of external and internal distractions: Eliminating external distractions may be as simple as going to a place where you will be alone and no one will disturb you. Make sure the phone is shut off, the door is closed and you have all the things you need to complete the task or project.

Creating an environment to avoid external distractions can be much easier than avoiding the internal ones. Keeping internal distractions at bay can be learned through meditation, deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga and other Eastern practices like Qi Gong and Tai Chi.

For more information:

http//www.csh.umn.edu (click on Educational program, then Free online learning, then Meditation)

http://www.mayoclinic.com (enter “meditation” in search).

Once the technique of deep breathing and focusing attention on breathing becomes automatic (which takes some practice and persistence in the beginning stages) this easy, readily available technique to quite the mind is well worth the time and effort

Find a link for deep breathing techniques at http://patienteducation.upmc.com/Pdf/CopingWithStress.pdf).

Maintaining positive thought processes: All of our feelings, beliefs and knowledge are based on our internal thoughts, both conscious and subconscious. We are in control, whether we know it or not.

The biggest difference between people is their attitudes. For some, learning is enjoyable and exciting. For others, learning is drudgery. For many, learning is just OK, something required on the road to a job.

Our present attitudes are habits, built from the feedback of parents, friends, society and self, that form our self-image and our world image. These attitudes are maintained by the inner conversations we constantly have with ourselves, both consciously and subconsciously. The first step in changing our attitudes is to change our inner conversations.

Seven suggestions for building positive attitudes

Look for positive people to associate with.

Look for one more interesting idea in each conversation.

In everyday life, find one or more concept important to you.

With every friend, explain a new idea you’ve just learned.

Ask questions.

Keep a list of your goals, positive thoughts (see affirmations http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/affirmations.htm ) and actions.

Remember, you are what you think, you feel what you want.

Adapted from Donald Martin, How to be a Successful Student (1991)

Critical Thinking Skills: Critical thinking is the ability to be in control of one’s thinking. It includes the ability to consciously examine the elements of one’s reasoning, or that of another, and evaluate that reasoning against universal intellectual standards — clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth and logic.

The critical thinker:

Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely.

Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively.

Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards.

Thinks open mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications and practical consequences, and communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

When we are in a state of intellectual wellness we experience things, challenge ideas, discover new ways of being, process and evaluate information that stretches the mind and helps us to grow mentally and intellectually. Deep breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques can be wonderful, helpful tools to create a space which supports learning and intellectual wellness.

Judy Aufenthie, a life coach at Franciscan Skemp’s Center for Health and Healing, writes an online column about healthy living and wellness. Send questions or comments through trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com.

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