A quick glance through any of my high school notebooks will prove that I am a horrible artist, but not for lack of trying.
No matter the subject, doodling was something I did often while listening to school lectures. Even today, my desk is littered with to-do lists with amateur drawings of flowers, dogs, and trees. As it turns out, all that doodling might actually be making me more productive.
Research shows that doodling, as in carelessly drawing an image rather than trying to create an artistic work, can help boost your memory and cognition, make you more creative and help you relax, Fast Company reports.
Research suggests that when we doodle we actually are paying better attention and remember more of the information being presented. It can be especially helpful for older adults. While that might obviously vary depending on the situation, that’s promising information.
Researchers say the effects of doodling are comparable to writing notes rather than typing them. You’re engaging multiple senses, which is making you more aware overall.
And those doodles don’t have to be anything special. Even just drawing a shape around a word can help cement it in your memory and drawing a curving line on a page for a minute or two can be enough to help you relax.
If you start to get overwhelmed at work or get stuck on a solution for a project give it a try, it might be just what you need.