Doodles are tiny casual drawings made for recreational purposes. Generally, children who sit in classes tend to doodle with their stationery items while their teachers drone on and on about educational topics. Doodling is often associated with boredom and makes children who doodle seem like he/she is absent-minded. However, that may not be the case.
Teachers and professors often reprimand their students for doodling during a serious lecture, assuming that if the child is not looking at them constantly, they are not paying attention to their class. Contrary to this popular belief, the act of doodling actually has some surprising benefits for your mind! Here are seven incredible benefits of doodling in your notebook.
- Doodling is a way of channelling emotions
Drawing random images, patterns, objects, and motifs that are involved in doodling is often transient; something that the doodler draws on instinct. It is very similar to the stream of conscious writing style in European literary works or journal writing in a Classmate notebook, where thought flows, and we use our pens or typewriters to write them down. Similarly, doodling is a way to express our thoughts as they flow. This is why doodling helps relax one’s mind and psychologists have found doodling to be a great way of channelling anxiety too.
- Doodling stops you from being in a dormant state and boosts memory
By using your hands and mind at a constant rate, doodling allows your mind to wake up from a lazy or default state into an active one. Lots of doodlers are able to concentrate on class and remember every concept discussed because their minds are activated through doodling.
Studies and research have also found that doodlers tend to retain more information. This is due to the brain being in an active state in contrast to those who do not doodle or note anything; they run the risk of getting caught in a daydream.
- Doodling can increase your creativity
As you doodle you surrender to your mind’s immediate urges and thoughts, making you follow your instincts and come up with new and unique ideas. This in turn boosts creativity and unlocks your artistic skill. Even if you are bad at drawing or consider having no great skill in drawing, doodling regularly will surely make you better at drawing and boost your confidence in creative activities.
- Doodling can boost moods
As you express your creativity and emotions with a pen like a Classmate pen, you will notice that all your negative energy is poured into the doodle, leaving you with a clear mind. Since doodling helps channel your emotions and anxieties, mood levels are higher and the doodler is calmer than before.
- Doodling boosts concentration
Researchers have found that doodlers become good listeners since their minds are in an active state where they can receive and store information easily. Hence boosting concentration. In one UN assembly, Hillary Clinton was found to be doodling in her chair. Many noticed this and maligned her, however, there is a high chance that Clinton was in fact deep in concentration and entirely focused on the meeting as she doodled.
These are some of the most important benefits of doodling. We must consider this the next time we find someone doodling and instantly assume that they are not concentrating! It could very well be the opposite case.