Does Doodling Help You Concentrate?

By: Anthony Dinglasan

Ask yourself, how many times have you fallen asleep in class?  Be honest. How many times have you daydreamed during a lecture? It is hard to concentrate right? It is easy to say empty commitments like “I’m going to work harder” or “I’m going to listen better.”  But at the end of the day, you find yourself losing focus once again.  Fortunately, a solution may be easier to implement than you think.  Contrary to popular belief, the answer is to doodle.

Does it Really Work?

The definition of doodling is to “scribble idly”. Unfortunately, this has caused doodling to be looked down upon.  On the contrary, Sunni Brown, the author of “The Doodle Revolution” offers a different perspective. The more inclusive definition of doodling is to “make spontaneous marks with your mind and body to help yourself think”.  A case study completed by the University of Plymouth, subjects were tasked to remember a series of names said on a tape. While listening, the experimental group doodled. On the other hand, a second group simply listened.  At the end of the study, the subjects who doodled were able to retain 29% more information than those who listened idly.  Doodling forces the left and right hemispheres in the brain to work together, making it easier to retain information.  As a result, doodling helps us concentrate.

But how does that keep us awake during a boring lecture? When one doodles, they are stimulating their brain, thereby preventing them from daydreaming.  Drawing forces your brain to get creative.  Rather than straining your attention for a long period of time, drawing keeps you awake.  

Conclusion

Doodling is an underappreciated method of creative study and it deserves a better outlook.  Remember, you are never alone when you doodle.  Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower also drew frequently!  Never stop expressing your creativity! Above all, never stop doodling!