Fidget to focus

I’m a fidgeter.

I’m often playing with a pen in meetings, or my leg is bouncing away whilst I’m concentrating on a presentation.

So I went and bought a couple of fidget toys: a Tangle Jr and Flippy Chain.

They’re both small enough to fit in my pocket, make no sound, and the Tangle Jr in particular has endless shapes and forms that make it really fun.

Fair warning, this could be placebo, but I feel like keeping my hands busy helps my conscious mind focus on the content, and gives my subconscious mind a discrete release.

Whether its placebo or real, I’ve found them to be an enjoyable addition to my work setup. And perhaps the biggest lesson was learning how to embrace the fidgeting. I used to fight it, now I try and direct that energy to help my conscious mind process things more effectively.