So when was the last time you doodled? Often considered something we absent mindedly do to while away time when we are bored – it is a great way of keeping your brain active and engaged in spite of the appearance of inattentiveness.
I love doodling – here is a page from a conference I attended recently…you could be forgiven for thinking I was not paying attention, but I very much was – taking notes in between decorating!
Doodling keeps your mind in the present moment, so for learning environments and meetings where the alternative can often mean your thoughts wandering to far off places, what you will eat for lunch and all the other things you need to do when you finally get out of this meeting. Daydreaming engages your mind blocking out the ability to continue learning and absorbing vital information.
“This study suggests that in everyday life doodling may be something we do because it helps to keep us on track with a boring task, rather than being an unnecessary distraction that we should try to resist doing.” according to Professor Jackie Andrade of the University of Plymouth.
This news article in the UK Guardian titled ”Doodling should be encouraged…” yes it is from February 2009….but I don’t think much has changed in 3 years to discount the idea so I’m running with it!
“Doodling can be a good thing. If there’s a choice between doodling and daydreaming, you’re better off if your students are doodling. Of course, it’s best if you aren’t boring them at all, but doodling isn’t necessarily a sign of your students being naughty—it’s a sign that it may be hard for them to concentrate without something visual.” states Prof Andrade.
It seems that daydreaming, elaborate drawings and sending text messages involve more effort and are distracting, whereas doodling is easier due to it’s repetitive nature – leaving precious resources free for absorbing information.
Doodling has also been found to help with memory recall in a study undertaken at the Medical Research Council’s Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. In the study, doodlers had a 29% lift in recall of information over the non-doodlers. Teachers and meeting organizers take note!
Friday March 2nd was UK National Doodle Day but why should they have all the fun, and why just one day? Given the benefits of doodling, why not be the beneficiary of your own ‘doodle day’ and check out the site for Doodle Day resources. Next time you are stuck in a meeting or listening to a boring but essential call try it!
Happy Doodling!!! Remember better to encourage brain engagement with doodles than allowing disengagement with daydreams!