What Are Brain Dumps?

Brain dumping, a specific form of (mental) health-related journaling, helps to process complex thoughts or emotions. Brain dump sessions can be especially valuable to Neurodivergent adults or those who struggle with anxiety and emotional dysregulation.

Set aside 15-30 minutes for this activity.

The Goal:

The point of brain dumping is to get all of your mental thoughts, feelings, and to-do’s “on paper”. I recommend actually writing on a pen and paper to help free you of unecessary distractions but this can also be done on a digital notepad on your computer or phone. During your brain dumps don’t worry about anything, (no format or needs of writing) just write without thinking, everything going on in your head.

Tips:

• Set aside the same time every day 15-30 minutes per day for this activity. (side note: Eventually, you will most likely get that down to 10 minutes a day as you become a brain dumping expert.)

• Turn on some music. Ditch your phone. Turn off all screens. Allow yourself to be in the room with JUST YOU. Take a few deep breaths. Then, just write.

• Dump everything you have in your mind that you are thinking, worried about, or need/want to do. Dump it all.

• When you’re done brain dumping during your specified time, leave it, let it go and plan to come back to it at a later time. For instance, if you do a brain dump before you start your day, (which is what I recommend) come back to your info dump later in the day

• At night, or when you come back to process your brain dump:

  • First, complete another brain dump, if needed (the same as the morning, just write).

  • Second, divide the “actionable items” (or anything you dump that is something you need to take care of or tasks you need to do) you wrote down in your brain dump into categories:

    • HIGH PRIORITY (must do ASAP)

    • LOW PRIORITY (need to do soon) AND

    • TO DO EVENTUALLY (want to do at some point). PRO TIP: Leave the original brain dump as is, just copy and paste to categories, if needed. You can also highlight each item in a coordinating color. I personally divide into “work” and “personal” categories but that is not necessary.

  • The third step is the most important. Add in a LET IT GO category. Anything that is not contributing to your long term goals and current needs MUST GO! This is the process of admitting what YOU ACTUALLY need to do and letting go of the things that are not necessary to be worrying about. You might think they’re important, but after evaluating everything in your current brain dump, ask yourself: is it worth your time and energy? Does it derive from negative self-talk? If so, let it go (with no guilt or shame!).

  • Lastly, after all the actionable items from your brain dump have been prioritized, you can now add these items on a schedule based on need/priority.

Want to hear more? Check out this awesome podcast about brain dumping!