Fidgeting Could Actually Boost Your Productivity

“Sit still, please!”

“Put that down and concentrate on what I’m saying.”

“How will you know what you’re supposed to do if you’re playing with that instead of following my instructions?”

“Stop twirling your pencil like that, and focus on your work.”

From the moment children start school, they are reprimanded for fidgeting. Whether it’s toe-tapping, chair jiggling, or mindless doodling, fidgeting is associated with a lack of concentration and productivity. The assumption is that if they’re not sitting still and in silence, they can’t possibly be paying attention.

In adulthood, the perception of fidgeting barely changes. Ask anyone to describe the characteristics of a disengaged employee, and they’ll often pinpoint the same characteristics that are linked with fidgety children.

As it turns out, they’re quite wrong to assume that fidgeting means a person’s attention is faltering.

Does Fidgeting Boost Productivity?

A 2013 research paper entitled “Everyday attention and lecture retention: the effects of time, fidgeting, and mind wandering” explored the correlation between fidgeting behavior and a person’s ability to pay attention during a lecture. The study found that the longer an individual spent in a lecture the more likely they were to fidget but, as a result of the fidgeting, they were better able to retain information.

A later, 2016 study found that fidgeting is particularly beneficial for people with ADHD. Florida State University researchers noted that children often fidget or squirm when they’re trying to solve a problem and this behavior has a particularly positive impact on children with ADHD, who worked more effectively when fidgeting. 

Some research even suggests that fidgeting is a self-regulating mechanism that can be used to either increase or decrease focus, to calm or energize an individual as is required.

Fidget Spinners became a trending toy all over the world in 2017, and were promoted as a tool to help people focus or relieve nervous energy and anxiety.

Fidgeting in the Workplace

It’s true that those who fidget a lot are the same people who are  prone to daydreaming and switching off. It’s possible that the fidgeting itself, though, is a solution to the problem rather than a symptom.

In a work setting, fidgeting serves to provide the physiological stimulation an individual needs to concentrate. When a person fidgets, the part of the brain most likely to be distracted is engaged, making it easier to focus on the main task at hand.

Fidgeting has also been proven to improve physical and mental health — particularly for those employees who spend all day stuck at their desk, without the time to properly exercise. When a person fidgets, their body produces dopamine and norepinephrine, which can help improve focus and attention span, as well as boost productivity. The repetitive motions of fidgeting also contribute to lowering overall stress levels.

So, the next time you’re heading into a particularly long and arduous meeting, consider grabbing a fidget spinner or a couple of pencils to twirl.

Image Credit: Jennie Book / Shutterstock.com