Many of us have a cloudy idea of what a brain dump is. I’ll share how you can do a brain dump to boost self-esteem. And, I’ve included some brain dump worksheets which you can download and use today!
I can hear some of you thinking:
“Shikah, a brain dump is just writing all our thoughts on a piece of paper! No need to guide us on that.”
Brain dumping works wonders for some of us. But some of us have tried it once and found it not useful.
Why so?
There must be a reason why brain dumping works for some of us and why it doesn’t!
The meaning of a brain dump in simple words
Brain dumping is the act of ‘dumping’ our jumbled-up, tangled-up thoughts on a piece of paper.
Not in a Word document. Not in a journaling app. But on actual pieces of paper.
Writing on paper will activate more parts of our brains and engages more of our senses.
In other words, writing on paper makes brain dumping more effective in clearing out our minds.
If you need inspiration, you can check out how this YouTuber (Elyssa Nalani) does a brain dump to set life priorities:
I am an overthinker, so a brain dump is what I need on many days.
So far, I’ve felt clearer about my direction after every brain dump exercise I’ve done. I usually go from overwhelm to calm and assured in 10 minutes!
So how do we do a brain dump the right way?
Look, it’s crucial to brain dump the right way so that it works for us.
So below are guidelines on how to make brain dumping most effective:
Brain dump at the same place, same time if you want to make it an everyday habit to cut overwhelm and have a clear direction everyday.
Have a loose template on hand so we can start writing immediately
You can brain dump with a blank piece of paper too
Set aside 5-20 minutes for this exercise
Write fast! Don’t censor your words
Don’t worry if your handwriting is untidy!
Don’t judge what you wrote. Accept it as part of you for the day
If you feel calm, assured and have crystal clear clarity after brain dumping, you are doing it absolutely right!
How do we brain dump to boost self esteem?
If you are feeling low regarding your self-worth, I have brain dump prompts for you so you can start boosting your self esteem.
Self esteem prompts for a Brain Dump session
What I did right today/yesterday
One good thing I did today/yesterday
What made me feel hopeful yesterday
What will I do today to make myself feel ‘alive’?
What have I been procrastinating on? Why am I procrastinating on this?
What are 3 things I can do today to perk myself up?
Who/what made me smile today/yesterday?
What qualities do I have which I admire on other people?
You can couple this practice with my free self esteem worksheet - which you can download below - to give you an instant boost!
Your aim is to answer each prompt with as much detail as possible. Don’t just write one sentence and leave!
You can create your own Self Esteem Brain Dump worksheet with the prompts above to print and use everyday.
You can use Word for a simple + quick layout or Canva for a full-blown piece of digital worksheet art.
You can do this self-esteem brain dump on any day you need a self esteem boost.
If you want a brain dump worksheet to make you feel better when you are facing a problem, you can look at my 5-Step Problem Brain Dump worksheet here.
If you want more brain dump worksheets to download, you can check these bloggers out:
My last thoughts on doing a brain dump…
You don’t have to do a brain dump everyday. I personally only brain dump when I feel overwhelmed, anxious or when I am overthinking.
You don’t need a brain dump worksheet or a template although it’s helpful if you are a first timer.
You can just dump your jumbled up thoughts on a piece of paper, be real and only stop when your mind is clear and you feel calm.
If you need more inspiration to boost your self esteem, you can read my blog articles below:
(Free Printable) How to Overcome Self-Critical Thoughts and Feel More Confident
How to Finally Overcome ‘All or Nothing’ - a Perfectionism Mindset
Meanwhile, have a good week!
Shikah
