Recently I was enjoying lunch with a friend. Unfortunately life has really thrown her a curve ball, and she was sharing all the many things that she had to take care of and do as a result. I noticed as she talked she appeared to get more stressed and overwhelmed. Excitedly I said…
“I know just what you need!”… “A BRAIN DUMP!”
“A what?”
“…you know like a colon cleanse for cluttered cognition…like a detox foot bath for a frazzled focus…”
“A BRAIN DUMP”
Trying to remember all the many thoughts in one’s mind can easily lead to heightened stress, forgetfulness, and memory glitches. Over a year ago I started a weekly practice that I have found to be most beneficial for the accumulation of mental clutter that litters my brain. At the beginning of each week, I take a piece of paper…nothing fancy needed here…scrap paper, a spiral notebook, a journal if you’d like, and I write. I write all the tasks that I can think of that I would like/need to do. I think of tasks at work, in the household, within the family, my health, with friends, shopping, bills, hobbies/entertainment. Some would suggest you then read over your list, highlight all those things that you can get done that day with one color, those things you can accomplish in a week’s time with another color, and all other tasks regulated to the future a third color. I don’t go that far. Something about writing all that gibberish is freeing. I keep a copy of the BRAIN DUMP on my desk and read it over at various times within the week, crossing off those tasks that I have accomplished, but I don’t stress about it. I do enjoy looking at the list at the end of the week and often notice how some items on the list, which I thought to be so important, really weren’t such a priority anymore. But the key thing is that I unloaded the clutter.
When the mind is not occupied with having to remember every little thing, it becomes easier to think about the more important matters in life. One feels less stressed, more relaxed and calmer. I recently read that research has proven that seeing items crossed off our to do or BRAIN DUMP lists actually causes a release of that feel good hormone dopamine and this leads to greater feelings of accomplishment and motivation!
If you are suffering with constipation of chaotic cerebration…a BRAIN DUMP is just what you need!
