Life can feel a little out of control at times. Maybe you tend to be anxious all the time, and it’s hard to keep everything straight in your mind. I’ve got a lot of things on mine, and I’m sure you do, too. When it gets too overwhelming, I do a brain dump of everything that’s weighing on me, from the minutiae to the big stuff.
For me, there’s the running to do list of the house (inside and out), my kids, my business, my personal practice, growth and development, grooming, groceries for now and to stock the cold cellar, those little tasks that are annoying but necessary (the oil change, the clothes shopping for the kids that are growing like weeds, the phone calls to make appointments, etc.). Don’t even start me on the holiday prep!
I know you’re feeling that, too. Maybe not the same list, but one of your very own.
It’s overwhelming.
Maybe you already do a brain dump when things get too much. To effectively do a brain dump, however, it’s helpful to not just pour everything out and leave it. Yes, it give you a reference to the things you want and need to focus on, but without a plan, you’ll jump back into brain chaos as soon as you put the pen down! I've got a tried & true approach to this overwhelm, and every time I use it, it surprises me how well it works, and how confident it makes me feel (in addition to a kick ass Pilates session, which always helps me get back on track). I’ll explain the process here, but you can make it even easier with this free download that's already done for you! You just need to print it out and fill it in. Here’s what I do to effectively calm my anxious mind with a brain dump:
Start with a fresh piece of paper, whether it’s copy paper, in a beautiful notebook, or on a scratch pad, or download the free pdf and print it out. Grab a pen you love. This might seem silly, but I truly believe it’s part of the process. Write out every single thing that is weighing on you, even if it's 'clean the hair out of the hairbrush' or ‘finish my thesis’.
It doesn't matter how big or small it is, if it’s on your mind, you need to write it down. If you remember something later, you can always add it in! Set a timer for 15 minutes, and don't stop until it's gone off (or when you're done, but only if it's past 15 minutes). It doesn't matter if you already wrote something down, if it gets repeated, it doesn't matter. You can cross it off later. I take the repetition as a sign it’s important and it’s really bugging me!
Now, take another fresh piece of paper (or pieces, if it was a lot!). You’re going to go over the entire list. I like to have highlighters of different colours, or different coloured pens for the next step. You’ll go over the list, choosing a highlighter to mark each thing you wrote down in each of these categories: I can't do anything about this right now (normally a worry) I can do something about this, but it's not a priority I can do something about this, and I need to ASAP I don't actually care if this ever gets done Now, with your fresh piece of paper, you’re going to put the 4 categories (you can rename them however you like, if you don’t like mine) spaced out. Transfer each highlighted trouble into the section it corresponds with.
Seeing them like this always gives me a little piece of mind!
You will then take the ASAP troubles and, on another fresh piece of paper, write down the next 4-5 days as headings. DO NOT GO FOR A WEEK. Just 4 to 5 days out!
Think about each thing you need to focus on from the "I can do something about this, and I need to ASAP" page ONLY.
Think about the next few days, what's going on, and plot them in accordingly. I PROMISE, this will give you a ton of relief. You will see a positive, do-able game plan. If you put every trouble in tomorrow's section, you are asking for overwhelm. They don't all need to get done by tomorrow, even if it kind of feels like it right now. Be sure to space them out over the 4-5 days. Just the action of looking at the concerns for what they are, individually, without being overwhelmed at them running amok in your brain, will give you a clear plan that won't feel like it's far too much.
If it IS far too much, go over your list and see which of those immediate concerns you can enlist the help of someone else with. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ALONE.
NOT EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT RIGHT THIS MINUTE. That's just your brain telling you that it feels overloaded.
But you can fix overwhelm by getting clarity.
Writing it all down like this gives your brain the reassurance that everything has been thought of, will be taken care of, and doesn't need to weigh on you. Please try this! Let me know what you think. I know it'll help. Don't just think about doing it and move on. Take the next 30 minutes to hour taking stock. You deserve to take the time to help yourself feel better. Go grab the free download now, and have everything there (even the instructions!) ready for you. Let me know in the comments below, what did you think? Did it help? Remember, you’re not feeling overwhelmed because you can't take care of all the things. You’re feeling overwhelmed because you just don't know where to start.
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