Why Fidgeting Is Not As Bad As You Thought... Movement Helps Improve Focus in Kids With ADHD

When people are nervous or impatient about something, they usually start to make small movements of the hands, legs or head. This act is called fidgeting. There are numerous times in a day when you can find yourself fidgeting; when you are waiting for the train at the station, when you are attending a boring lecture, and one that is fairly common with students is when you start rolling a pencil or a pen in your fingers. These are all acts of fidgeting.

For centuries fidgeting was considered a rude and annoying habit that needed to be extinguished. 

The tables have turned and now it’s finding its way into mainstream treatment for ADHD and disorders that can make it difficult to focus. 

Recent research has found that by providing an outlet for the “fidgeting”, people with learning disorders are able to better focus and learn. 

In a study in Abnormal Psychology showed that young boys with ADHD, when put in swivel chair and allowed to rotate, they performed better in memory tests. On the contrary, the kids without ADHD performed even worse than they did without spinning the chair. So it can be concluded that if you are a young boy with ADHD, fidgeting may help you focus better

It is even helpful for those that don’t suffer from learning conditions — if your hands have something to do, your mind can focus on the task at-hand.