2 Types of Brain Dumps I Use When I'm Feeling Overwhelmed
August 2019: Columbia River, Washington State
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Whenever I hit a roadblock with a project, whether its writing the discussion section of an article or figuring out how to move across the country, it usually means that my next steps aren't crystal clear. The one thing that I've consistently found that helps with forward momentum after feeling stuck is the brain dump.
What do I mean by brain dump?
I mean getting everything out of your head and onto paper (or into an electronic document). Once everything is out of your head and into the world, you can see it, organize it, make a plan, and then get to work.
In this post I'll go through the different ways I use brain dumping and also lay out a few simple steps on how to do a brain dump.
There are two types of brain dumps that I like to use. First, is the stream of consciousness brain dump.
In this type of brain dump I write about why I'm feeling overwhelmed, what I think the main issues are, all the feelings that are coming up for me, and anything that might help move me forward. Getting all of my thoughts and feelings out in the open helps me identify patterns in my thinking. For example, maybe I'm feeling like I don't have enough support to write a difficult section of an article or maybe one of my projects isn't a priority anymore but I'm treating it like it is.
This type of brain dump helps me acknowledge, challenge, and move through the feelings and resistance that I'm facing. I can identify thoughts that are hindering my progress instead of moving me forward. For example, after reading one of my brain dumps and noticing the thought "everyone is too busy to help with this project, I can't ask for support," I might ask myself... "have I actually reached out to anyone? Has anyone explicitly told me no? Have I ever helped someone else out, even when I was busy?" Questioning the thoughts that come up in the brain dump can then be helpful for moving forward. For example, if I haven't actually asked anyone for help, then that's the first place I’d start.
The second type of brain dump that I regularly use is a task brain dump.
This type of brain dump can focus on a specific project or a specific time frame (e.g., the next week). During the brain dump I'll write down all of the tasks that need to happen for the project or within a certain time frame. If there's something I don't know how to do I'll simply write, "figure out how to do X, Y, or Z." I don't worry about order when I'm brain dumping, I'll write down whatever comes to mind and then once I'm done, organize it by when things need to happen. After the tasks are organized I'll review them and ask myself if there's anything else I can think of (usually once I get started, there always are!). And then I'll go through and see if there's anything that can be delegated or removed. Once I've got a final list, everything goes into my task manager and/or my calendar.
In reality, the stream of consciousness brain dump and the task brain dump get melded together. I'll rant about my feelings and then also remember, oh here's a task that I haven't written down yet. So, I don't necessarily keep them separate 100% of the time.
The next time you're feeling overwhelmed or stuck on a project, give it a try. Here are the steps that I use to do my brain dumping.
Go somewhere where you won't be disturbed for ~30 - 45 minutes.
Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Alternatively open up a blank document on your computer (no internet required).
Decide if you're going to do a stream of consciousness brain dump or a task brain dump or both. Also decide if you're focusing on a specific project, a specific time frame, or leaving things open.
Set a timer for 15-30 minutes if that's helpful, or leave it open ended. I usually leave it open ended
Write down whatever comes into your head. Don't edit or censor yourself, just write, you can go back and make sense of things later.
Once your timer goes off or once you decide you're done, read through what you wrote. Make edits if needed.
Organize your thoughts and/or tasks in a way that's helpful for you. If you're using paper/pen this could look like re-writing your thoughts and/or tasks by theme, project, time frame, priority level, etc. If you're working electronically this could look like re-organizing your document.
Question thoughts that might be holding you back. E.g., ask yourself, "Is this true?" "What other strategies could I use?", "Who else could I ask for support?" etc. If there are any to-dos that come up from this process, add them into your task manager or calendar. For any thoughts that are hindering you, see if you can shift your thinking at all to help move you forward. For example, "this is so frustrating and overwhelming" to "this is overwhelming, and I know that I can get through it."
For those to dos, ask yourself, "do I have to this? Or can someone else?" "Do I actually want to do this anymore?" etc. For anything you want/have to do, add it to your task list and/or calendar.
Rinse and repeat whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck!
