As I settled in my chair to soak up the warmth of morning sun, my half-filled notebook and a pen accompanied me.
It was the month of December; a month where winter resides.
While I plugged my white earplugs and tuned to my favourite track, I was completely unaware of what I was going to discover today.
Being a creative professional, my well-being is my priority, so that I can produce creative ideas, consistently.
The last couple of months had accommodated more than they could have had.
Having taken the most significant leap of my life — to work as a solopreneur — came with a cyclone of new changes and decisions to make.
Therefore, what I felt was a purely overwhelming feeling.
So as I began pouring my thoughts to my dear diary, I felt better already.
I scribbled everything that came to my mind. I dumped it all down, venting my thoughts regardless of the correct order.
I even left some phrases half-way to write the next thought that came gushing.
Epiphany hit when I finished writing — I saw the page scrambled with thoughts I never imagined I had. I felt light — like a feather!
Everything that was previously in my head was now in front of me. Then, I either prioritized them on my to-do list or eliminated them.
This is how I discovered Braindump!
What is Braindump?
Braindump is a productivity technique that allows you to pick out all that is running in your head, and place right onto the paper.
This helps to get rid of accumulated stress, nagging thoughts, and pressing issues.
If I had to explain it with a metaphor, I would say Braindump is like untangling a yarn, one string at a time.
In the real sense, it means giving physical existence to your intangible thoughts, via writing them down.
This way, you gain a clearer perspective on it.
Not only this but when your mind is not constantly reminding you of all the pending tasks, you feel free and get things done faster.
In other words, it enhances your productivity.
How to Brain-dump?
Well, to begin with, I want you to know that there is no hard-and-fast rule to Braindump.
You can do this any time of the day and any day you feel like.
You can make it a ritual or do it only when you feel overwhelmed.
Personally, I find it comfortable during the weekends or at night after the day has been wrapped up.
This is to say you should have sufficient time on your hands, so you don’t get interrupted. Set time apart from lunch, or work or any other commitments.
Next, sit down at a peaceful and a comfortable place and pen down as thoughts come over.
Think of it as opening a box filled with stationery, and dumping it all on the table. Braindump works the same way.
Simply start writing whatever comes to your mind first.
Remember this: no one is watching you while you do this, no one has to read what you have written.
So don’t fret about your handwriting, or the structure or even the spellings.
We are not submitting an essay. All we are doing is unzipping the mind and letting all the thoughts spill on paper.
Soon, you will start to feel relieved. As if a huge burden has been taken off of your shoulders. Breathe.
Once you have finished writing, and think there is nothing more to write, you start to sort through.
Again, there is no right or wrong way of doing it.
You can feel like taking a stroll right after the exercise. Or, you may feel like going back to work and setting some to-do lists.
It does not matter as long as it is making you feel good and light.
As for me, I eliminated some thoughts that didn’t require immediate attention, made a to-do list and a list of content ideas.
And there we are — completely sorted!
Why does Braindump Work?
You may be wondering how merely writing your thoughts can even begin helping you.
It’s natural to think how such a simple technique can help you tremendously. Let alone increase productivity.
But here’s why it works: when you have a thousand things that always seek your attention, it is tough to focus on just one.
There are just so many things to be sorted, where do you begin?
By this exercise, you are pinning all the fleeting thoughts in one place, i.e., in front of your eyes.
Braindump helps you to:
- See your thoughts
- Address the things that are bothering you without them being painful
- Eliminate unproductive thoughts occupying your mind
- Untangle and deal with your thoughts
- Aid your productivity
- Improves mental well-being
Unleash Creativity!
Your mind is a beautiful creation, it is the best place to foster your thoughts and let exceptional ideas emerge.
But for that to happen, you have to give space to your mind to let it breathe and make room for newer ideas to surface.
The idea of Braindump is to eliminate the stress that you have been accumulating for a long time now.
Entrepreneurial and creative burn out is so frequent but least addressed.
It’s time we start taking an appointment with ourselves and fix the ever-nagging issues.
Do give Braindump a try and discover a new way of unwinding.