Following on from the last post about gratitude writing, we are back with another instalment of this mini series with another writing technique designed to help improve well-being and aid recovery – the brain dump. Life these days is by default pretty damn stressful and I often find myself with a head full of racing thoughts, ideas, to-do lists and ending up feeling overwhelmed at the sheer intensity of it all and panic at the mere thought of trying to get it all done! This is where the brain dump comes in…
what is a brain dump?
In simple terms, a brain dump is where you dump all the thoughts, feelings, worries; everything that is swirling around your head down onto a piece of paper. You are essentially pouring the contents of your brain out onto the paper in front of you – metaphorically speaking of course, the literal would be rather messy indeed.
what do i need?
+ a notepad or paper
+ pen or pencil (points for highlighters and cute gel pens)
how do i do it?
Set aside 5-10 minutes to write down whatever is currently occupying your mind. Don’t take any longer than that or you risk digging a bit too deep – you only want to capture what is currently taking up residence up there.
why do it?
The act of brain dumping is simply to help you declutter you mind and thoughts. Rather than trying to grasp the thoughts as if you are trying to hold onto handfuls of water. It’s impossible. A brain dump uses the physical act of writing which has been proven to help those of us struggling with our mental health – the act of physically writing something down gives our brains a break and a chance to relax because once something is written down, it doesn’t feel the same pressure to remember that thing. Instead of it going back into the never-ending tornado of thoughts spinning about in is fixed to the page and your brain can let go. I think again, as I was saying in my last Writing for Mental Health post, you do need to be in the right headspace to get the best results but from experience, it really can help achieve a sense of mental clarity!
when to do it?
The best time is just before you go to sleep. Getting everything out of your mind and allowing your brain to let go of some of the things swirling around will help relax the mind more and *hopefully* result in a much better rest. If gives you something to address in the morning with a clearer, rested head and make you able to focus on the relevant aspects fo your mind and be more productive overall.
what do i include in a brain dump?
Knowing where to begin with this can be quite overwhelming, especially if you already have that storm in your mind meaning it’s difficult to know where to start! The way you structure your brain dump is entirely up to you but here are some examples to get your started:
You could stick with the classic goal orientated to-do-list brain dump where you include the things you need to do in a way you could check them off as you do them creating a visual representation of your achievements and keeping yourself up to date on the constant juggle of life.
the structured to-do-list brain dump:
+ list any appointments you have
+ a work task you need to complete
+ what ingredients you need for dinner
+ water your plants
+ any specific errands you need to run ie. collecting a parcel, posting a letter, making a phone call
For harder times when you mental health is not at its best and you need that little extra support to get yourself going and prevent yourself falling further into the pit of despair.
the struggle bus brain dump:
+ brush your teeth
+ have a shower
+ drink water
+ eat all your meals and snacks/ order food
+ take meds
+ call a friend
+ recap on coping strategies
+ call your care coordinator/duty team/psych/gp
+ look through your self soothe box
For a less task oriented brain dump you can list anything in your mind that don’t necessarily require some kind of action plan right now.
relaxed brain dump:
+ start new class
+ holiday
+ day trip out
+ date
+ special occasions
+ emails
what next?
When you have finished writing and clearing out the attic of your mind you have a few options when it comes to your next step. Depending on the theme of your brain dump you can either identify which things are stressing you out the most and start there. There will often be ones you perhaps can’t tackle right now, maybe they are time sensitive or you simply don’t have the tools right now and they can always be carried over onto you next list for a time where you can make definitive plans or perhaps they are unsolvable.
You may feel like you have to instigate a plan of action and solve all of these things but there are no rules to say you have to do that whatsoever – you can simple write it down and walk away. There is no rule saying that once you’ve written it down that you have to deal with it immediately – sometimes the simple act of writing it down is enough to make you feel better and that is out aim.
So next time you feel the tornado in your mind start ripping up your house, grab a pen and paper and let the paper carry the weight for a bit!
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