Next time you're in a tedious office meeting, try drawing designs or goofy faces on your notebook as your boss drones on. If the boss objects, just tell him/her that a British psychology professor says doodling improves concentration and memory. When what you're listening to is stultifying, she says, doodling gives your brain something to do. Otherwise you might completely mentally check out. From the Guardian:

"A simple task like doodling may be sufficient to stop daydreaming without affecting performance on the main task," she said. "In everyday life, doodling may be something we do because it helps to keep us on track with a boring task, rather than being an unnecessary distraction that we should try to resist doing."