Clear Your Head in 4 Simple Steps

Brain Dump

The first thing I recommend to anyone feeling overwhelmed, having repetitive, negative, or unhelpful thoughts, is to do a brain dump.

Set aside some quiet time to sit with a pen and paper or journal and just begin writing anything that comes to your mind. Start with anything that’s been bothering you or things you know you need to do. Let your mind wander to things you’d like to do and then just keep writing. Get every thought out of your head and onto the paper.

This task alone will go a long way toward clearing your head.

To Do List

Next, take your brain dump and begin picking out tasks that need to be completed and transfer them to a to do list.

If you have larger projects or ideas break them down into single tasks.

Calendar

Then pull out your calendar and schedule in time to perform all the tasks on the to do list. 

Journaling

The things left on the brain dump page are probably random thoughts or opinions. Take the time to consider each thought. Are these thoughts serving you? Are they bringing you down or wasting your time. Can you let them go or replace them with other more useful thoughts?

Here is an example of a technique like Byron Katie’s that helps neutralize thoughts that you tend to ruminate over.

Let’s use this thought: “My husband can be so selfish sometimes.”

It can be turned into, “My husband is so selfish sometimes, but so am I.” 

“My husband can be so selfish sometimes, but he can also be very generous.” 

Now think about times when he was generous. This helps to take neutralize these thoughts.

Continue looking at the thoughts you have left and try to neutralize all of them.

Ahhh…

Your head now is free to ponder bigger better things.