What is a Brain Dump?
A brain dump, as defined by Wikipedia, is “the transfer of a large quantity of information from one person to another or to a storage and retrieval medium”.
From Our Brains to Somewhere Else
In my mom life, it just means dumping everything out of my brain to somewhere else so that I can get out of the Overwhelmed Zone. This somewhere else is usually my paper notebook but for others, it can also be a paper or digital planner/app.
The Benefits of Doing a Brain Dump
But why bother doing a Brain Dump and who has the time to do so?
A brain dump is very helpful because, oftentimes I just feel overwhelmed by the number of things that I need to do, and everything seems super important and highly urgent. Instead of freaking out or being paralysed with inaction because I don’t know where to start, I force myself to just stop and do a 10-minute Brain Dump.
I literally dump out everything that is swirling in my brain (and I mean everything) onto my DIY Brain Dump Planner from Plum Paper. I don’t sort. I just write all the things down.
What is funny is that sometimes it is just one or two things that are swirling in my mind. But because I had left them IN my brain, it seems to feel that it is its duty to keep reminding me that I have yet to complete those tasks. So much so that I think there are many items to do.
Yet sometimes, there are really many items that I am dumping onto the list. BUT when closely examined, they are all small little things that can be dealt with quickly. However, without writing them down, my brain is continually reviewing them and trying to organize them – tiring.
But Where?
While doing a Brain Dump is not a new concept (there is nothing new under the sun indeed!), I learnt something else about it while reading David Allen’s Getting Things Done book. He said that the place we dump all the things we need to do is as important as the brain dump itself.
Somewhere Trustworthy and Reliable
The place where we transfer the information to needs to be trustworthy and reliable. This allows our brains to “rest”. Therefore, while “write it down” is good advice, where we write it down is even more important.
Meaning, writing on the backs of envelopes or post-it notes is not helpful. These invariably get tossed or lost. So, a piece of paper in your clipboard, a physical notebook or the notes app in our phones are better choices.
And …
Having multiple places where we write things down is not helpful either. We need to use only ONE system. Multiple apps and multiple notebooks are both not helpful.
Choose ONE Storage Place
We need to decide where we want to transfer the information in our heads to. Choose ONE storage system and stick to it. If this is the first time you are doing it, you may need to try out the various options to decide which one suits you best in this season of your life.
If it is your paper planner, then use only your planner. If it is the notes app in your phone, then stick to that.
When my children were much younger, I just used a piece of paper and stuck it to my clipboard. But late last year, I invested in a pretty Plum Paper notebook when they were having their Black Friday Sale.
Personally, I have always preferred the pen and paper method. Somehow, writing out my list calms me down. But this is your choice.
Prioritise
Then, prioritise them according to its level of urgency. Put a deadline next to them. Then number the items them according to its urgency.
This allows you to see what NEEDS to be done today and what can be done tomorrow or even next week, although all are important.
For example, both changing bedsheets and menu planning are important in my family. The former because of our sensitive skins and the latter because, well, we have to eat 🙂
BUT I do not have to change the children’s bedsheets now but can do it over the weekend. Likewise, I need to do up my menu plan now so that I can go grocery shopping and have food for lunch!
One More Tip:
Because of the tyranny of the urgent, I encourage you to especially give deadlines to things that are important but not urgent. Things like calling a loved one to touch base. Or schedule a date night with your husband. Otherwise, these things will just get pushed down and off the list.
At least with a deadline, while you may still push it down the list, at least you are aware that you are pushing it down the list. Hopefully, that will spur you to get it done so that you won’t be pushing it yet again.
Just Start
Then I start attacking my list methodically. I love checking off my To-Do List! Do you?
A confession: I tend to be overambitious and often underestimate how much time I need to complete my tasks. This means I often end up with more to do items on my list than time to finish them. Thankfully I have found that having a timed schedule in my planner helps me see clearly how much time I have.
And this is how doing a Brain Dump helps me get out of the overwhelmed zone. Have you done it before? Want to try it out?
Download FREE Printable
Grab your Brain Dump Printable here. I have 3 different options for you. The black-and-white ink saving option, the mauve option and the pretty floral option. May the printable help to motivate you to go do all the things that need to be done without feeling overwhelmed.
Related Posts
Check out these posts if you need more posts on how to get over the feeling of overwhelm:
Setting up Routines to Beat the Overwhelm
Setting up Systems to Beat the Overwhelm
Setting Up Margins to Beat the Overwhelm
How Writing To-Do Lists Helps Your Brain