For people who have trouble concentrating, the ability to focus must seem like a superpower.
Surprisingly, one way to control your attention is by intentionally doing something that usually gets a bad rap: fidgeting.
Even better, learning to control your fidgeting is a skill for everyone: people with ADHD, students who need extra focus, or anyone going through a busy time in their lives.
You can do anything, but not everything.
— David Allen, productivity expert
Why Fidgeting Is Good for You
Scientists and parents have found that fidgeting is the body’s way of finding an outlet for a busy brain. This outlet can be controlled with fidgeting activities.
According to WebMD:
Fidgeting may be a way for the body to regulate attention....
So, here's an idea:
You can direct your brain’s overflowing energy deliberately through fidgeting activities to help yourself focus.
Quiz
The school library has only two open rooms for students to study in. A student who fidgets might study more productively in the room with:
How to Be Deliberate in Your Fidgeting
Productive fidgeting activities are centered around tools called fidget toys. Generally best practices for fidgeting include:
Match a fidget toy to a specific unproductive fidget habit. If you pick your nails or can't keep your hands still, look into hand toys and techniques.
Choose fidget toys that aren't visually or audibly distracting. If you find yourself more interested in the toy than the task, it’s a distraction!
Be discreet around others. The idea behind fidgeting is to minimize distractions both for you and for everyone else.
Fidgeting with Hands and Feet
There's no one way to fidget!
With Hands
Fidgeting movements:
Pressing each fingertip into your thumb in sequence
Tapping each individual fingertip on or under a tabletop
Fidgeting with objects:
Knitting
Pen manipulation
Fidget cube
Fidget tangles
Squishy ball or toy
With Feet
Fidgeting movements:
Toe wiggling
Foot tapping or circling
Fidgeting with objects:
Foot rollers, pads, and rests
Exercise band movements
Desk bike
Quiz
During a math lecture, Jerry struggles to listen and crosses his legs noisily or spins in his chair. Which two techniques would be the most productive and discreet for Jerry?
Subscribe for more quick bites of learning delivered to your inbox.
Unsubscribe anytime. No spam. 🙂
Other Ways to Fidget Productively
With Your Body
Combine hand and foot toys and techniques
Chew gum
Sit on a yoga ball
Briefly stand up and/or walk
There are many more ways to fidget productively, too. You can find what works for you!
Did you know?
Genetics plays a role in whether a person fidgets or not.
Take Action
Your feedback matters to us.
This Byte helped me better understand the topic.
New Bytes
We publish fresh Bytes daily, we can send you a notification when that happens.