In elementary school, you may have had a teacher tell you off for drawing on your paper. They may have told you to stop or sit in the corner. While they didn’t have bad intentions, we realize now that doodling can boost focus, not always just distract.

Your teacher did not have bad intentions. For a child, drawing can be distracting, it can use all their focus. However, as an adult or teenager, your mind has become more complex and now a small drawing on the corner of a worksheet, or drawing on the back of your hand, can help you instead of distracting you.

Harvard Health did a study on this. Two groups had to listen to a two and a half minute dull, rambling phone call. One doodled while they listened, and one didn’t. The group that doodled had a 30% increase in ability to recall information, even though this may seem counterintuitive.

This kind of information has been around for decades. Because of the habits we build as children, however, almost no one uses this tool. If you struggle to learn from videos or by listening to a lecture, try doodling.