Pencil and Memory Recall: Why doodling during meetings improves retention by breaking monotony

Meetings stretch. Minutes stack. Attention thins. In that familiar lull, a humble pencil can become a lifeline, not a distraction. Doodling—those loops, boxes, arrows, tiny faces—often keeps the mind present enough to catch the point that matters. Far from childish, it’s a subtle cognitive tool that interrupts monotony and steadies focus. Doodling is not daydreaming; it’s tactical engagement. Research suggests that light, purposeful pen movement stabilises arousal, curbs mind-wandering, and improves memory recall when details are delivered at a steady, soporific pace. In boardrooms and briefings, the sketch in the margin can be the difference between drifting and genuinely absorbing what’s said.

Why Monotony Erodes Recall—and How Doodling Helps

Long, uniform meetings invite a well-documented “vigilance decrement.” When stimuli change little over time, attention fades and the brain starts to roam. The result is predictable: missed acronyms, lost action points, patchy recollection. A small, rhythmic activity—like drawing simple patterns—adds just enough stimulation to keep your attention loop engaged without hijacking it. Light motor engagement breaks the spell of monotony while keeping your ears on the room.

A well-cited UK experiment led by psychologist Jackie Andrade found that people who doodled while monitoring a dull audio message recalled significantly more details afterward—around 29% more—than those who didn’t. That gap matters in meetings where every figure or caveat may carry risk. Doodling provides a “post” to tether attention to, preventing it from drifting entirely into the default-mode fog. The trick is load management: small marks, simple shapes, repeating motifs. Geometric patterns and symbolic sketches create cognitive friction just sufficient to maintain vigilance, without crowding your working memory.

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Think of it as a volume knob for attention. Too quiet, you drift. Too loud, you’re distracted. Doodling sits in the balanced middle—active, but not intrusive.

The Neuroscience Behind Pencil, Pattern, and Memory

The brain encodes information best when multiple systems are engaged. With speech alone, auditory circuits do heavy lifting while motor networks idle. Add the pencil, and you recruit sensorimotor pathways that stabilise arousal and support working memory. Small strokes keep the noradrenergic system in the sweet spot for sustained alertness. The Yerkes–Dodson curve is a useful mental model: performance improves with arousal up to a point, then slides. Doodling nudges you up the curve, away from the drowsy base.

There’s also a dual benefit to memory: dual coding and levels of processing. When you convert a phrase into a symbol—a box for budget, a lightning bolt for risk—you pair verbal content with a visual-motor trace. That doubled route makes later recall more robust. Even repetitive patterns help by occupying the restless part of your attention that would otherwise chase unrelated thoughts. As the hand loops, the ear listens. As the pen lands, a phrase sticks.

Importantly, the pencil acts as a metronome for focus. The tiny feedback of graphite on paper gives your brain a tactile pulse, synchronising listening with motion. It’s quiet. Private. Effective. And when the meeting sags, that gentle pulse stops the full slide into mind-wandering.

Practical Techniques for Useful Doodling

Keep it simple. Prioritise low-complexity marks that won’t steal attention: grids, spirals, arrows, clusters of dots. Reserve marginal space in your notebook; never draw across the core notes you may need to scan at speed. Make symbols the servant of meaning, not the star of the page. Convert recurring ideas into a tiny icon library—envelope for follow-up, clock for deadline, chain link for dependency. Limit colour switching; it adds needless friction. The goal is a light cognitive load that steadies attention.

Match doodle to moment. During a dense explanation, stick to repetitive shapes. When a decision crystallises, add a symbol beside the speaker’s words. At the end, circle or box the one sentence you must remember. Consistency beats artistry; the brain learns your code and navigates it faster next time.

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Etiquette and Inclusion in the Meeting Room

Good doodling is discreet. Choose quiet tools—pencil over clicky pens—and keep movements small. Sit where your sketching won’t distract colleagues. If you’re chairing, mention that you may take “visual notes” so engagement isn’t misread as detachment. Visible doodling can look like apathy; frame it as a focus aid. For hybrid calls, use a notebook just off camera, not a tablet that glows like a beacon. The aim is cognitive gain without social cost.

In inclusive teams, allow neurodivergent colleagues to use fidget tools or doodles without stigma; these can be reasonable adjustments that improve participation. Provide scrap paper in workshops. Encourage symbol-led note-taking in long training sessions to reduce fatigue. If you’re a manager, signal permission: “Quiet sketching is welcome if it helps you focus.” That small sentence unlocks productivity for many.

Finally, set boundaries. Don’t shade full portraits during budget sign-off. Avoid writing snark in the margins—future you may regret it. Keep your eyes up when people speak, and summarise out loud when asked. Your doodles are an aid, not a shield.

Doodling won’t replace attentive listening; it supports it. A pencil and a few deliberate marks can keep the mind alert when meetings go flat, and turn fleeting phrases into lasting memory cues. The practice is simple, cheap, and easy to trial. Start small, build a personal icon set, and notice what you recall a day later. The test is practical: does your follow-up improve? In your next meeting, what pattern, icon, or tiny map will you try—and how will you measure the difference it makes to what you remember?

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