Fidgeting and Focus

When I was in school my teachers would sometimes say I wasn’t paying attention or was daydreaming, even though I remembered what they were saying and did well in school. During meetings I often doodle while listening to co-workers and thinking about the topic. If I’m thinking about something and I’m stuck I will walk around a bit. One of my old co-workers used to have a stress ball at his desk and would periodically stop working, look out the window, then go back to what he was doing. I have another co-worker who bounces his legs up and down when he’s at his desk working.

Fidgeting and doodling help us focus, and many studies have shown movement can improve attention, creativity and memory. One woman even talks about bringing her knitting to work and how it helped her focus.

However, some organizations have the backwards idea that this is “unprofessional.” Some organizations have embraced the “walking meeting” to take advantage of the neurochemical attention benefits of movement. Other companies have started actually putting fidget toys on desks for lectures and trainings. What do you do when you just need to move at work? How does your organization deal with the effects of fidgeting and movement on focus and memory?