Do you have so much on your mind that you can’t sleep or focus on your daily tasks? Or the opposite—you feel numb and nothing useful and creative comes to your mind?
I often do.
That's why I'd like to introduce you to brain dumping.
The idea is simple: you put your thoughts on paper, without thinking, editing, and self-censoring.
The result? Clarity, peace of mind, self-exploration, and flow of ideas.
Let's see how it's done.
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How to Brain Dump?
Brain dumping can be done in many forms: you can write pages of text, draw pictures without previously thinking about it, or link keywords to each other in a mind map.
The written version of this method is also known as freewriting.
You might also be familiar with a specific method of brain dumping called Morning Pages.
Whichever output you prefer, the process is mostly the same: you sit down, free of distractions, let your mind wander freely, and simply note down everything that comes to you. Without filtering.
It's best if nobody sees these notes so you don't feel pressured to censor or edit what comes out of your mind.
Let me emphasize: let EVERYTHING out.
That is—if nothing comes to mind, write down: "My mind is blank, I don't know what to write about." or even: "This exercise is stupid. I want a taco. Bla bla. I should check the weather. But let's keep writing".
Scribble. Draw little hearts on the paper. You can do anything as long as you force your brain to create without pause or your "logic brain" stepping in the way and trying to create something good.
What your brain creates really doesn't matter at this point.
Think of this as going to the gym. If you want to break your deadlift record while keeping a beautiful posture, you need to warm up first with unimpressive but constant movement.
Don't force your thoughts or try to filter them until you find something that is worth putting on paper. If it helps, decide that you will destroy the paper/document after you're done with this exercise.
I keep repeating myself because the biggest resistance most of us have is that this exercise—well—sounds stupid.
I felt the same way until I tried it—and I shocked myself with what came out and how much it helped my work!
As long as you're creating, your brain will eventually unlock more and more creativity. Just trust the process.
Continue freewriting (or free talking, drawing) for as long as you like. I guarantee you that if you brain dump for just 5 minutes, you will start coming up with thoughts you never would have come up with by just sitting and thinking about it.
Set a timer for a minimum of 5 minutes, and commit to writing until the timer goes off, without stopping, and resist the urge to erase or rewrite (re-record, redraw) whatever you created. Allow yourself to just get in the flow
The more you're in the habit of creating ANYTHING, the more likely you will find creative solutions fast when you find yourself in challenging situations, both in your professional and personal life.
What to Put in Your Brain Dump
Think of a mind dump like a river. Allow all your thoughts to go with the flow.
Brain dumping can be used for a wide range of situations, from exploring and solving inner trauma to remembering everything that you need to pack for your next vacation.
Here are some ideas of what you can write about:
- Your raw and unfiltered ideas about a certain topic
- Your frustration about not being able to write
- Anything that bothers you
- The voice of your "inner critic" or self-doubt—and why they're lying to you
- An imperfect poem or lyrics
- Progress on your job, projects, or side hustle
- Daily, weekly, or monthly tasks and goals
- The deadlines that haunt you
- Your shopping list
- House chores that make you feel lazy
- Lingering dreams and nightmares
- And really, anything that crosses your mind
Once you’re done, you can choose to burn the piece of paper, or use it to analyze how your brain works when you're inside the deepest flow. Circle thoughts that keep popping up. Underline the thoughts that surprised you. You can color-code matching patterns. You can even do a "regular" journaling about your experience.
Brain Dump Output Methods
Long-handed or On-Paper Brain Dump
A paper and a pen or pencil are all you need. You can write on empty sheets of paper, in your bullet journal, or in a regular notebook.
Depending on your goal, you can even turn to a whiteboard.
The advantage of brain dumping on a paper:
- fewer distractions—you can stay focused on the task easier.
- handwriting is more intentional than typing. It's slower, so you're forced to go deep instead of going fast.
- Studies have shown that writing by hand activates certain parts of your brain that are important for learning and memory.
Digital Brain Dump
While many believe that freewriting or mind dumping is best down with a pen or pencil, I find that I gain many benefits even when I do the exercise on my computer.
The benefits of digitalizing your mind dumping:
- It's faster so you can create way more text before the timer goes off
- It's portable, so you can stick to the habit even if you travel a lot
- It's easier to keep your notes private
- As I'm a writer, I often get into a highly inspired, creative mood right after freewriting. It helps that I'm already there and I can just start working on my daily writing task.
My favorite tools for digital brain dumping are:
- Notion
- I have a template that I keep using every time I need to freewrite
- I have the app on my phone and my computer, so I can pick up the habit on any device
- You can create long text, checklists, bullet points, paste images, anything really.
- Miro
- For a more "mind mapping" style brain dump or design ideas, I have a very elaborate Miro board with thoughts and plan.
- The Voice Recorder app
- Sometimes I prefer to speak my thoughts instead of writing, especially if I want to "warm up" before recording a video or presenting to a team.
- Even if you never listen to your voice memos later on, the simple act of thinking out loud can help you gain clarity and boost your creativity.
When and How Much Should You Brain Dump?
You can do it regularly or ad-hoc. It could even be a few seconds, but I do recommend sticking to at least 5 non-stop minutes. It all depends on how much your brain needs to find clarity in the jumbled thoughts or have that lightbulb moment.
That said, there is proven benefit in doing this exercise daily, in a written format, and at least for 20-30 minutes or 3 pages.
A Word About Morning Pages
This article wouldn't be complete without mentioning Morning Pages and book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron where you can learn exactly how it's done.
According to Julia, it's best to do this exercise (she refers to it as a "stream of consciousness") first thing in the morning, handwritten, 3 pages. There is more to it, but I don't believe it's important for this specific blog post.
While I've already found tremendous benefits in doing brain dumping or freewriting without such rules, I'm currently experimenting with Morning Pages. Depending on how it works out for me, I will write a blog post about Morning Pages in the future.
Whatever you choose, commit to it all the way. It will do wonders for you, I can pretty much guarantee it. And if you make it a morning habit, mind dumping can skyrocket your clarity, productivity and self-development.
So What Can You Get Out of Brain Dumping?
A regular brain dump session can help you...
- Remove the "empty canvas" feeling
- Organize your jumbled thoughts into organized ideas
- Tackle life's difficulties
- Learn more about your inner world, your limiting beliefs, and how to tackle them
- Learn that you can't have good ideas before allowing your mind to generate ANY idea (!)
- Untangle your thoughts faster and with ease.
- Get rid of the writer’s block and get your creative ideas flowing like a river
- Learn to manage negative, hurtful, blocking thoughts
- Brainstorm new ideas and become your most creative self
- Focus on doing tasks rather than thinking about them
- Learn what makes you happy or sad
- Silence your mind for a sound sleep
- Listen to others better (it starts buy learning to listen to yourself!)
All in all, you’ll be pouring out to your brain’s content for a more blissful you.
Pro tip: linking it to your meditation routine can be a power combination to help you achieve clarity, mindfulness, and self-awareness