This week I took the very exciting step of deepening my coaching skills.
It kicked off with a 2 hour session where we discussed a broad range of ideologies, including Nancy Kline, Author of Time to Think who puts the benefits of coaching beautifully;
“The quality of everything we do depends on the quality of the thinking we do first.”
In this article, I'm going to share the power of what some may consider the entry point to art-making; doodling.
Benefits of Doodling;
There are so many ways that doodling helps you to grow outside the lines;
- Enhanced Attention & Recall - Surprising? Counterintuitively, instead of fracturing your focus, doodling while doing something else can enhance mental attention on the primary task. A study by doodle researcher Jackie Andrade in Applied Cognitive Psychology found people who doodled while listening to a monotonous telephone message actually recalled 29% more information after the call. There really is memory in your fingers.
- Creativity & Flow State - A study analysing 9,000 doodles discovered that spontaneous drawing helped to quiet the busy mental chatter of the brain's left hemisphere, which helped increase creativity in the right. Creativity is enhanced thanks to the increased alpha waves in the brain, the same patterns produced when you're in a highly productive state of flow. So it's good to know that doodling gets you on the path to this promised land of flow!
- Wellbeing - Doodling can help mitigate the toxic effects of stress. The rhythmic and repetitive motion of drawing elicits what Harvard cardiologist, Herbert Benson identified as the relaxation response. Synchronizing the hand and eye coordinates body and mind and this triggers the body to relax.
Ideas for Action 👉
So how might you incorporate doodling into your routines at work?
- Visual Diary - When I doodle, I find it easier to recall things, remembering how it felt with more of my senses and when I look back on them it helps me to better make sense of my thoughts and feelings. So I would highly recommend doing this as a leader at the end of each week, perhaps on a Friday afternoon to help you gather your thoughts.
- Meeting kick off - On the days when you and your team are rushing from meeting to meeting, when you finally come together in the same physical or virtual space, it's a good idea to start with a 2-5 minute doodle. Doodling functions as an open-eye meditation, allowing your team to get out of their heads and into their bodies. Set a timer and at the end, you'll all be more likely to have a more focussed and fruitful meeting.
- Doodle Wall - In your workspace, find a wall and set up a doodle wall. Make it easy to grab pencils and add some doodles. If you decide to go ahead, I'd LOVE to study the before and after effects of your team so do let me know and I'd be happy to help you set it up for maximum effect!
The benefits of doodling are clear and this is why all my Executive Coaching clients will receive an Art After Dark art kit to support their own reflexion in our sessions.
This Week's Doodles🖼️
This week I've shared my many doodles! I find it super relaxing and wouldn't be without it as a means for concentrating as well as unwinding so, "If in doubt, doodle it out!"