Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

It’s almost bedtime and you’ve gone through all the steps of your meticulously crafted skincare routine already. Your outfit for the next day is sorted and you’ve set multiple alarms to wake up early in the morning to squeeze in a workout before heading to the office. And yet when your head hits the pillow you’re unable to descend into deep slumber for hours.

Has this happened to you before?

If you find yourself unable to quell the million buzzing thoughts in your head before going to bed, then you need to try a ‘Brain Dump’.

Everything To Know About ‘Brain Dump’

What is a ‘Brain Dump’?

Just like the name suggests, a ‘Brain Dump’ is a productivity technique that enables you to clear your mind, reduce anxiety, increase focus, and maintain overall mental health. While the technique is nothing new, people have started realising its benefits for a good night’s sleep.

The idea is to get all the thoughts buzzing around in your head on paper so that you can free up space in your brain and think more clearly.

How do you ‘Brain Dump’?

The technique is similar to journaling but it asks you to set a time limit for yourself, usually 5-10 minutes. To do this, you have to comprehensively and uncritically list down all the thoughts going on in your head in a notebook. You don’t need to limit yourself to one subject. Instead, you can just write and record anything and everything that is going on in your head. There are no rules!

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If the thought of doing this seems daunting at first, try structured prompts like ‘What is worrying me right now?’ or ‘What can be the worst or best case scenarios in this situation?’ ‘What made me smile today?’ etc.

Does it really work?

As is the case with any other technique for mental health regulation, the results can vary from person to person. However, this can help you reflect on your day and organise your thoughts in a more efficient manner. The fact that you’re putting a time limit for yourself make sthis less formal and structured than journaling, which can be encouraging for beginners. Research has also shown that this improves recall and memory, especially in students.

So will you try this trick before going to sleep tonight?