How a Simple Exercise with a Terrible Name Can Reduce Overwhelm
Can someone think of a better name than “brain dump,” please?
Notes from a Kindred Spirit is a bi-weekly newsletter about embracing curiosity, exploring hobbies, living with chronic illness, and finding contentment in the everyday.
Hi friends,
Do you ever feel like your mind is so full of things to look into, to-do list items, and ideas that you feel scattered and like you can't grasp onto any of them?
Well, that was me this week. To be honest, a lot of these ideas were about Notes from a Kindred Spirit. (There are some exciting things on the horizon!)
But I also had lots of appointments this week, which meant I was running out of the house for one reason or another without a solid break in between to sit down and get my thoughts in order.
This is where a very handy—if unfortunately named—tool called the “brain dump” can be hugely helpful.
What is a brain dump?
If you've never heard of this before it's quite easy to do. Take a pen and piece of paper or notebook and write down everything that's been on your mind lately. Don't filter it. The point is to get everything out to free up some headspace. I can almost guarantee you'll start to feel the tension in your body relax as you keep writing.
Once you're done with the brain dump, it's up to you what you do with it. You could add some items to your to-do list for this week or next week in your planner or Bullet Journal®. You could add events to your calendar or block off time in your calendar to complete specific tasks. You could also delegate some of these tasks to your partner or kids!
I did this on Wednesday night and once I felt like I'd written down everything I could think of, I asked myself what mattered right now and what felt the most like priorities for me. Then, I read everything I had written and circled my top priorities.
I plan to review these this weekend and add them to my Bullet Journal® and calendar. Some of the items on my list are tasks I know won't take long to do, so I'll likely do them right away and won't need to add them to my journal. I kept putting off doing this brain dump but ultimately, it gave me the relief and clarity I needed.
Have you ever tried doing a brain dump before? If you haven't, do you think it could be helpful the next time you feel overwhelmed?
For the purposes of a book club, I find it better to aim for shorter books in the 250-350 page range. This helps to accommodate readers of all types and makes it more likely that everyone will have time to finish the book before your meeting. And if we’re being honest, whose arms are fit enough to hold a 700-page book without dropping it on their face while trying to read in bed? Not mine!
From My Shelf to Yours
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams | Published in 2021
I read this novel a few years ago but June is Migraine Awareness Month, so I thought it was a great time to share this book recommendation in case you’ve somehow never read it! This book features chronic migraine rep that is based on the author’s personal experiences.
Instead of giving you my brief synopsis of what the book is about I’m just going to share the link to the publisher’s blurb with you because I want it to convince you to read this book!
My Thoughts
I absolutely love this book! It was sexy and fun and heartwarming and emotional. This is definitely a character-driven novel and the character development was fantastic. The invisible disability rep was spot on and I really appreciated the way it was handled, especially how Eva’s perception of her disability affects the way she approaches relationships. This was an easy 5 stars for me! Definitely recommend!
Trigger warnings: self-harm, drug abuse, alcoholism
If you enjoyed today’s Note, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a ❤️ and comment or reply to this email and let me know if you’ve ever tried a brain dump and what your favourite summer read is!
P.S. I have 3 digital products available in the Notion Marketplace!
📚 BOOK CLUB HUB for the book club host who wants to organize their club with ease so they can focus on the fun part—reading good books and chatting about them with friends! It’s perfect for small to medium virtual or in-person clubs.
📖 CURATED BOOK LISTS for the book club host or bookworm who doesn’t know what to read next.
🎁 GIFT PLANNER & TRACKER to help you organize birthday and holiday shopping and stay on budget.
I have heard of the term "mind sweep" used as an alternative to that icky name! I've heard of several people who dislike the term!
I like a brain download rather than a brain dump, it sounds a bit more intentional to me.