The Power of Doodling
Have you ever gotten in trouble for doodling in class? Recent studies show that doodling while taking notes can actually help you retain more information than you normally would just paying attention in class.
Whether it is during a class, during a meeting, or during a lecture, taking notes is an important way to retain information that you want to remember and learn. Though, taking notes and constantly paying attention can be difficult at times. We all space out every now and then and lose our focus. It is natural for people to lose interest after listening to someone speak for an extended amount of time. Fortunately, our brain has natural outlets of creativity that allow us to release the tension of sitting and listening for a long time, while still maintaining focus and retaining important information. Contrary to popular belief, doodling is an extremely effective way to keep your mind focused.
Sometimes taking notes is not the most effective way of retaining information. Your mind ceases to absorb the information it is hearing and goes on auto-pilot mode. You can be writing what you hear while your mind is somewhere else, not really paying close attention to what is being said.
While doodling on the other hand, your creativity is flexibly being exercised which keeps your mind from wandering onto other thoughts and allows you to actually listen to what is being discussed. This way, instead of writing everything you hear, you can write down key words and phrases that may be more helpful for you to remember what the conversation or lecture was about.
Doodling not only helps you focus but can also be used as a form of stress relief. Allowing your mind to relax a freely flow onto your paper can be calming. This makes doodling before a stressful meeting, test, or interview, a good way to soothe your nervousness and anxiety.
Even if you're just doodling for fun, doodles expand your mind's concentration time and memory making doodling a great brain exercise to do on a daily basis.
Whether you choose to doodle during class or during a business meeting, make sure to keep your mobile devices charged in every setting. Check out our mobile external batteries and stay charged everywhere!
Lisa Ilyin
Author