Scrambled eggs brain. Does that sound familiar sometimes? I know it does for me. We may feel scrambled when we have a lot on our brains – when we’re thinking about all of the tasks and ideas that keep floating around. And then the next thing we know, we forget what they were. We then need to unscramble those things we forget about. Sound familiar? Today on the blog, I’m sharing about how to unscramble your brain with a braindump.

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. There is no reason to ever have the same thought twice, unless you like having that thought.” - David Allen, author of Getting Things Done

Having too many ideas and not jotting them down somehere can lead to a scrambly brain. Enter braindumping.

So what’s a braindump?

In my definition: A braindump is essentially writing your “brain down on paper”. It’s writing down everything and anything (usually tasks or ideas) that comes to mind that keeps floating around in there. You can get fancier by categorizing or prioritizing too.

Other braindump descriptions:

Definition of a brain dump: the act or an instance of comprehensively and uncritically expressing and recording one’s thoughts and ideas (as on a particular topic)
Instead, Shafer recommends doing a brain dump—getting workflow, ideas, commitments, and to-do lists out of your head and onto a physical list and calendar.
— Stephanie Vozza

First, you do a giant brain dump to force yourself to clear out the mental clutter and face head-on all the contradictory goals and obligations that are crowding your days.
— Jessica Stillman

(from the Merriam Webster dictionary)

Ok, now we all understand what a braindump specifically is now. Right? Does braindumping sound good yet? Need a good braindump right now?

How to unscramble your brain with a braindump: tips for making braindumps

  • Keep a notebook or digital notepad handy for those times you really need to write things down. I’m a big fan of bullet journaling. So much so that after years of bullet journaling, I created my own simple planner that’s based on the method, but has a twist that’s uniquely mine. You can check out my planner called My Simple Planner HERE.
  • Add to your braindump as you go throughout the day (because there’s nothing more annoying than waking up at 3am remembering something lol! Been there).
  • Revisit your braindump when feeling less scrambled eggs and decide what to do with those things. Move, remove, or get done.
  • *Here are more tips on a blog here on braindumping.

Braindumping to unscramble your brain is a relatively simple concept and when put into practice, it can be so helpful. Make sure to have supplies on hand, braindump as needed, and enjoy!

FREE braindump printable planning page

A picture of the braindump printable planning pages.

If braindumping is new to you or you just enjoy freebie planning pages, you may enjoy the braindumping printable planning page I put together. You can find that braindump printable HERE.

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Pen lying on a notebook with the title of the blog over top of it.

Other blogs of mine you may enjoy:

Other blogs on braindumping:

Hi, I’m Kelly! I’m a mother of four children - three boys, one toddler girl - and our family lives on the beautiful east coast of Canada. I’m a past elementary teacher, turned stay at home, work at home mom eight years ago after I had my second child. I’ve found that the busier I’ve become and as my children age, that it’s become even more important to figure out what is most important to me and us as a family. Living a simpler lifestyle has helped us in so many ways in our home life - from better routines to faster tidying up times. It has been through my children that I have been inspired to learn how to effectively manage my time and to simplify in all areas of my home and life. I enjoy helping busy moms simplify home life by teaching flexible planning methods and skills. Enjoyed this blog and think it would be helpful to others? I'd love if you shared it. Thank you!