Your student’s brain gets filled with all sorts of stuff. Like what they’re supposed to do and what if they don’t know how to do it and worrying about something they have to do and trying to remember that thing they were supposed to do. And wishing they could just dump all that stuff out of their brain and sort it all out.

Brain dumping is a way for them to do just that. Exactly what it sounds like, a brain dump is “a cognitive technique where you unload or ‘dump’ all your thoughts, ideas, worries, and tasks clogging your mind”. Also known as expressive writing, it’s a vent for releasing all those intrusive thoughts swirling around in their head by literally putting them down.

Which is a plus for their overall well-being. A study with students found that “expressive writing reduces intrusive and avoidant thinking about stressful experiences”. Are they unable to get to sleep because they’re worried about all the things they have to do? Another study shows that dumping out all those tasks at bedtime as a to-do list will help them fall asleep faster.

Or maybe they have a tough time with the start of their day. Doing a quick 5 minute brain dump when they get up can help to ease their stress so they can start fresh. If they’re all over the place when they get home from school, that same quick 5 minutes can help them organize their thoughts about what happened during the day.

Have them choose a quiet comfortable place where they can use either traditional pen and paper or a note taking app uninterrupted to let their thoughts flow. From pet peeves to random thoughts to worries and ideas, it’s a completely unstructured rule free zone where they can release everything and anything that’s on their mind.

When they’re done, it’s time to go back and review what’s been dumped. The picture they’ve created allows them to see the highpoints of what they feel good about and make note of frustrations and anxieties to be addressed.

As a platform for them to express and process thoughts, brain dumping provides the ability to organize what’s on their mind and the clarity to ease their stress about what they’re going to do about it.

 

Whatever level of Mental Health support you, someone you love or someone in your network needs, The Recovery Coach NY is here to help. We honor all paths of recovery with years of experience and a vast array of resources that encourage those in need find a way to a life of joy and purpose. Listening actively, without judgement, we provide solution-oriented actions that can begin to bring the peace you and your loved one seek. For more information you can have a confidential conversation with Cindy via phone at 631-921-4085 or reach her directly via email here.

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