Dumping time!
“A brain dump is a freewriting session where you unload anything on your mind onto a blank page. This may include anxieties, items on your to-do list, future planning, nagging decisions, work deadlines, and emotions. — Wendy Wisner, VeryWell Mind
Lately, I have been feeling like my brain is scrambled. It tells me that I have a lot to do but tell me what the “lot” is. I like to walk for exercise and be in nature in a nearby park (see my FB to follow my walks). The full loop of the park is 3.3 miles which I had been doing every Sunday. This past Sunday I said I would do the full loop, but as I set foot in the park, my mind immediately said I didn’t have the time. What was I rushing home for? That was unclear to me.
I use a brain dump to clear my head; I do it most of the time before bed to quiet my mind for sleep. When my daughter was little, I called it a brain ache like a headache to help her understand why I didn’t want to be disturbed.
“Proponents of brain dumping say that its benefits include:
helping you remember what you need to accomplish each day
clearing up headspace to learn more information
organizing your thoughts
improving focus and concentration
increasing self-awareness of thoughts and feelings
may decrease stress” —PsychCentral
I do a brain dump to clear my head. You could do a brain dump after learning to clarify what you just learned or first thing in the morning to help you with what you need to do that day or to help you remember all the good in your life.
Whatever your reason for doing a brain dump, it is a good practice. We often delete files on our computer to make space for new ones and a brain dump does the same thing.
How I do my brain dump: I get out a notebook and open to a blank page. With pen in hand, I close my eyes and write the first words that pop into my head for 3-5 minutes.