How Fidgeting Increases Brain Activity

Are you the type to tap your foot – or drum your fingers? Sure it may annoy other people – but according to research from MIT, it’s a signal of “cognitive restlessness” – and it means your mental wheels are turning.

That type of fidgeting increases levels of neurotransmitters in the brain that control focus and attention.

There was one study that found that people who were allowed to doodle while on a conference call remembered more facts and details about the call later than those who weren’t. It’s also been shown that people with ADHD do better on some cognitive tasks when they’re occupied by “spontaneous bodily activity” – also known as fidgeting.  


That’s because movements, like foot tapping, increase blood flow to the brain – specifically the region that controls executive function – which helps us focus, governs our decision-making skills, and our self-control.