Whether listening to a lecture or sitting through a meeting, staying focused and keeping your mind engaged is always a challenge. With focus being a valuable skill that allows us to perform to the best of our abilities, how can we help keep our minds engaged?

When I dedicate my time to sit down and draw, it always becomes an experience that requires a certain level of mindfulness as it demands that I pay attention to detail. Drawing is an activity that focuses your attention on what you are doing. Paying attention to the shapes, lines, and details, drawing redirects attention away from distractions and grounds you in the present moment. 

Drawing often naturally engages my brain to focus, fostering a state of mindfulness that enhances my concentration and makes it easier for me to stay focused on other tasks. With drawing keeping my mind engaged, I wondered if doodling works the same and helps improve your ability to focus and recall information. In this post, we will explore how doodling can sharpen focus and help you recall information. 

Recently, the “scribble technique” has gained popularity as a study method that enhances focus and memory by incorporating doodling while reading or listening to material. I personally use the scribble technique while reading lectures, and I have found that it helps me stay focused on the material instead of getting distracted or daydreaming. Below is a picture of the “doodles” or “scribbles” I make while reading. 

Many people assume that doodling is a sign of boredom, but studies suggest otherwise. Research shows that doodling while listening or studying can improve your recall ability, prevent mental fatigue, and enhance learning. Jackie Andrade conducted an experiment that examined the effects of doodling on recall ability. In her research, she found that, compared to students who did not doodle, students who doodled while listening to a two-minute audio recording recalled 29% more information. The researcher credited this result to a reduction in daydreaming that occurred in those who were doodling (Andrade 2010).

This conclusion is supported by several studies demonstrating that recall performance can be improved when one engages in low attention-demanding tasks, like doodling, during moments of boredom (Boggs et al. 2017, as cited in Roche et al. 2007). This occurs because doodling maintains the mind engaged while utilizing a small portion of available cognitive resources (Boggs et al. 2017, as cited in Teasdale, Proctor, Lloyd, & Baddeley, 1993).

When it comes to how the brain processes information, doodling keeps areas of the brain engaged. Girija Kaimal, and other researchers, conducted a study that measured the brain of someone who doodled using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a brain imaging technique that uses light to measure brain activity. Using this technology, she found that doodling activated the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is “the part of the brain involved in managing your ability to problem-solve, reason, use logic, and remember things. It’s also the part of the brain you use to direct your attention” (Hutchison 2018 Jun 10). Below is an image of the prefrontal cortex the fNIRS measured.

Doodling is an action that anyone can do in any environment they may be in. From personal experience and based on conclusions from research studies, doodling helps you focus in times when your brain may not be stimulated, and it allows you to improve your recall ability. The next time you catch yourself not being able to focus while listening to a long lecture or sitting through a meeting, try picking up a pen and begin to doodle! Try it out and let me know if this helps you focus.

References:

Andrade J. 2010. What does doodling do? Applied Cognitive Psychology. 24(1):100–106. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1561. http://pignottia.faculty.mjc.edu/math134/homework/doodlingCaseStudy.pdf. 

Boggs JB, Cohen JL, Marchand GC. 2017. The effects of doodling on recall ability. Psychological Thought. 10(1):206–216. doi:https://doi.org/10.5964/psyct.v10i1.217. 

‌Hutchison C. 2018 Jun 10. To Doodle or Not to Doodle? Science says doodler’s brains are smarter and sharper. Medium. https://cathyhutchison.medium.com/to-doodle-or-not-to-doodle-science-says-doodlers-brains-are-smarter-and-sharper-40ee9f27d5aa. 

‌Kaimal G, Ayaz H, Herres J, Dieterich-Hartwell R, Makwana B, Kaiser DH, Nasser JA. 2017. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy assessment of reward perception based on visual self-expression: Coloring, doodling, and free drawing. The Arts in Psychotherapy. 55:85–92. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.05.004.