03 August 2020

Mind mapping is an effective brainstorming tool to help us organise tasks, words and ideas, linking them to a central theme. Let’s start practicing today and discover its benefits!

2:00 Min

The earliest use of mind mapping traces back to the 3rd century BC, when philosopher Porphyry of Tyros used it to put together Aristotle’s works.

The concept is simple: begin with a central theme, such an idea or a problem, and write it down at  the centre of a page. Next, jot down associations to the main idea using words, phrases or images and link them by drawing branches that radiate out from the central theme. Use different colours to distinguish different connections – the final outcome should look like this. 

In our daily lives, we can use mind mapping to: 

1 Organise ideas

We often have thousands of ideas in our mind, such as to-do lists, personal goals, work deadlines, family plans and much more. Mind mapping can help us organise, priorities and reduce distractions. In business planning, for example, mind mapping helps establish a logical and fluid thought process, avoiding dead ends and mental blocks.

2 Improve memory

Mind mapping does more than simply help us organise our thoughts and to-do lists. Its dynamic and visual approach, based on colours and imagery, helps us remember and retain more information. Various studies have shown that mind mapping helps improve long-term memory by 10 per cent, and has a long-standing positive impact on child learning, helping kids recall words with a success rate higher by up to 32 per cent.

3 Boost creativity

By decluttering our cognitive processes, we can save mental energy for creative purposes. This is especially helpful when brainstorming new ideas for a project, an activity or a product. A 2009 study showed that mind mapping encouraged creative thinking in a group of students, especially in terms of generating and structuring new ideas.

 

4 Find faster and better solutions

Mind mapping organises all key information in one visual snapshot, making it easier to problem solve and to see immediate solutions. In fact, a clear big picture helps us establish pros and cons of a specific subject, argument or problem as well as to focus on relevant information. Consequently, drawn solutions are well-thought-out and concrete, based on overarching relationships and agile thinking.

5 Develop learning

In general, mind mapping is a healthy exercise to improve learning, as research has shown that it makes studying an interesting and motivating experience. Leveraging the use of colours, images and design, mind mapping transforms complex subjects into learnable and relatable components, making them easier to digest and remember.