What is a brain dump and it’s effects on stress?

Finding calm can be next to impossible when you have a million thoughts swirling around in your head. It’s stressful when you have so many details going on inside your brain. These rambling, disorganized thoughts are always with you and it can seem like there’s no escape. I know of one simple trick that can help you to overcome that helpless feeling. I’d like to share it with you today. It’s called a brain dump, and it truly is as easy as it sounds. First, let’s learn what is a brain dump and then, we’ll talk about how to do one. Once you learn this technique, you’ll no longer be forced to deal with the overwhelm of an overcrowded mind.

What is a brain dump?

A brain dump is simply taking what’s in your brain and transferring it to another place. This place can be onto a piece of paper or into digital form like a computer app or word processing program. What’s important is that you clear your mind of all the clutter so that you can think clearly again. Dumping the excess thoughts and information from your brain to a different storage medium frees up valuable space. It also unloads a heavy burden. You’ll feel a lot freer once you’ve experienced this process.

What is a brain dump’s benefits?

There are a number of benefits to performing a brain dump. Let’s look at just a few. First of all, it clears your head. Just seeing the information in front of you gives you a sense of control over it. Your brain is cleared, kind of like a computer cache. There’s now more room in it so that it will function better. Once you have taken all those thoughts from your head and placed them in a place where you can see them, you then have a lot of options. Information is far easier to sort when it’s right in front of you than when it’s swirling around in your mind. You can then organize that information into a format that makes sense, helping you to process things and to make plans. You’ll find the information is now organized and more readily managed. It will be easier to gain focus and to be more productive in your work flow.

How to do a Brain Dump

Performing a brain dump is easy. Choose your format. If you prefer pen and paper, that’s great. Writing things down can be therapeutic, and it can help you to retain information. However, electronic form also offers benefits to those who prefer to keep digital records. What’s important is that you remove the clutter from your mind, and then find a way to organize and process it all. Set aside some quiet time, at least a half hour. Write down everything that’s in your head. Keep going until you can’t think of anything else. Try to use the time you’ve allotted, but don’t frustrate yourself if you truly can’t think of more. Then come back to the information later to categorize and organize it in a way that makes more sense.

This is good to do on a weekly basis. You can do it more or less frequently, depending on need. You’ll find you feel more refreshed and can think more clearly after your brain dump session.