Brain Dumping. It’s a weird term but it works wonders for your brain.
I haven’t been calling it brain dumping; this is a new term to me. However, I have been doing some form of brain dumping for a long time. Basically, it’s a process of getting everything out of your brain to free up space for more.
It helps you to process thoughts, organize your chaos, and may even lead to breakthroughs in your professional or personal life. It’s a freeing experience, a game-changer for taking on your day. My process is outlined below, and I hope that it helps you form your own! Save and read it later!
Get your own FREE brain dump guide below!
You will need the following
- 2 timeslots a day
- A means to take notes
Want to create/customize your own jotter? Check out this tutorial for a quick DIY jotter using supplies you probably already have!
Timeslot 1
Dedicate this time slot to literally writing down every thought in your head. I’ve tried this before bedtime and in the morning. Currently, I have found taking 5 mins once I get home from school drop-off and before I start my workday to be the best time.
- Carline, waiting for pickup
- Parking somewhere after school pick up for 5 mins before starting workday
- Early morning before anyone wakes up (but this required me to be up before anyone)
- Mid-day during work lunch break
Anytime and anywhere will work, just dedicate it to writing it all down. There is no wrong answer, and trial and error may help you find your golden zone.
Don’t worry about formatting, grammar, or writing neatly. At first, once I got a lot of things out and written down, I felt a noticeable feeling of relief and quiet. The voices died down.
Once you start writing and start to feel that change, you are probably almost out of things to write down. Awesome job!
At this point, take a look over what you wrote down and pick one or two quick, low-hanging fruit type things to focus on right now; call the vet, get gas, text or call someone back.
Do. Those. Things. Now.
Keep your list handy during the day and keep jotting things down.
Timeslot 2
Dedicated to organizing those rambling notes, I have found that the best time for me is in the evening, just after my son’s bedtime.
All those notes I compiled throughout the day start to take shape. I highlight projects and themes, draw boxes around to-do list items, and color code similar items.
From here, I write out my to-do list, grocery list, and add ideas and notes to my bullet journal or OneNote, etc. This is where I set my action plan for all those things floating around in my head.
So, what are you waiting for?! Start now, figure it out as you go, just get it out of your head!
Do you do this or something similar now? I’d love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment below.
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I love this idea!! I’m constantly feeling brain fuzz from trying to ‘do it all!’ so this sounds like it will help. I’ll try it this week 🙂
Great post on brain dumping. It can be such a benefit, but when people hear about it they often feel overwhelmed. This helps break things down and hopefully makes it easier for others. Thanks for sharing!
I agree, it can be very overwhelming. I have found just starting is key and then eventually, a rhythm, so to speak, will develop and it gets easier.
This is really good! I am a big fan of journaling in general, I feel that putting your thought on the paper helps a lot to make more sense of it. This methode sounds very good too:))
Thanks Eli! If you try out the method, I’ve love to hear how it goes or if you find a better way!
I started doing this a few months ago and it definitely helps. I have been trying to get my husband to try it out, especially before he goes to bed.
I need to do this. Especially because they say that the more ideas for come up for something, the better that the ideas get. Thanks for the free printable for jotting down your brain dumps!
Love this! I really need to add some journal prompts and brain dumping to my day. Journaling is perfect to organize my thoughts!