Enjoy a spring clear and decluttering for your mind.

I love a good planner.

I write EVERYTHING down because if I don’t, I’ll forget.

If you love a good planner, let me know your favorite.

I use an Agendio. ( links below) I also love the unbound planner too.

Let me know if you have a planner and what your favorite is.

You don’t need to be a planner person, but….

If you’re an overthinker, have a busy mind, or feel as though all of your thoughts are running a race in your brain, or you get anxious with everything you have to remember, then you need to dump that shit…with a proper brain dump.

If you are not sure what that is, it is a way to get everything you have in your mind out of your mind in a way that allows you to go back to it if you need to.

It’s like a spring clean for your brain. A “decluttering” of your thoughts. And it’s highly effective when done properly.

Our brains are not meant to remember tasks and lists.

Short-term memory is short for a reason and when we overload it with our tasks, our calendar, or our lists we lose that clarity and focus our brain needs to navigate the world.

Our brain’s job is to take in sensory input and then encode and store the memory for future use. Short-term memory is short for a reason.

This is why a phone number is only 7 numbers. We can remember it for a very short time then it’s gone.

The stuff we are trying to remember is episodic memory. This is the memory that consists of facts, events, and locations.

Most of what we “think” we can remember.

When is the last time you thought, “I’ll remember that name or that webpage” and then twenty minutes later, gone!

So, to get to a clear, more focused, and productive mind, use a brain dump.

The best way to do a brain dump.

Dedicated time and a quiet space.

Make it a special time AND make it important. You can take it further and light a candle and or do this at the same time every week or month.

ALWAYS do your brain dump with pen and paper.

It activates a different area of your brain and it helps with better memory recall later on.

Find your favorite pen and the best paper you have.

You are more apt to do this regularly if you like writing with that cool pen. And nice paper is sweet.

Don’t hold back!

Don’t hold back anything that goes on this paper. The longer you write the more stuff will come up which will also free your mind. You’ll actually start to find things “pop” into your brain.

Enjoy this process.

It’s fun to see what you forgot and then look down to see what you remembered.

Take a few breaths, and start writing anything that is cluttering your mind.

Tasks, calendar events, unfinished projects, important communications, goals (short or long term), or things you want to get to or release.

Anything that is distracting you from a clear mind.

Be mindful while writing

Make it a relaxing sensory experience.

Feel the pen in your hand, the movement as you write. The words being created onto the paper and how the paper absorbs and pulls in the ink.

Now just notice how the words look on the paper. Do this without analyzing or looking directly at them. Just notice from a distant mindful perspective.

This is an extension of your brain. Think of how powerful your mind is having pulled up all of this information for you.

When you complete your brain dump

Take a few moments

Take a few breaths and a few moments to just sit back, relax, and feel the clear, spacious mind that you have created.

Schedule your brain dump

Consider this a self-care routine. It’s important and it should be treated as such. Put this on your schedule. This also creates a habit and it’s a good one to have.

Weekly or monthly depending on how often you write stuff down. If you use a planner, you might not need it as much. If you think you’ll remember everything, then weekly.

Two more tips

Put your brain dump in a place where it won’t get lost.

More importantly, don’t keep it directly in front of you either. Working off of your brain dump page is not a good idea. There is too much information which can be overwhelming for your brain.

Instead…

Categorize your brain dump.

The main category is the “To-Do” category. Then you can add “Want to do” and “Do later.”

Then you can take those few “To do” tasks or things that need to get done and put them in a planner or a calendar.

Lastly, be kind to your brain, it works hard. Give it a break and write shit down.

Take a deep breath in and exhale.

So, before I go, listen closely and remember this ONE thing.

Your future is a thought, your past has passed, but your now is always here.

Be mindful-one minute at a time.

Hugs, Cheryl