Declutter Your Brain..... To Remain Sane

Darling Marketing Community Lapkass Author

Feeling overwhelmed, stuck or not sure what to do next in your business. Brainstorming is a great way to remove the clutter occupying your brain.

Overwhelmed, Stressed Out, Not sure what I should be doing. I hear these words quite a bit when first working with my clients. The first step I suggest is a brain dump. Brain dumping and decluttering your mind can be a great way to reduce stress and improve mental clarity.

The standard method most people use to brainstorm is start writing whatever comes to mind without censoring yourself for a set duration. This can help clear your mind of clutter and reveal underlying thoughts. If you do not find that this method works for you, consider trying these fun and unique methods:

Mind Maps: Create visual representations of your thoughts using mind maps. Start with a central idea and branch out with related concepts, ideas, and tasks. You can use colors, drawings, and symbols to make it more engaging.
Voice Recording: Instead of writing, try recording your thoughts. This can be especially helpful when you're on the go or have a lot to say quickly. Use the Dictate feature in Word or other audio recording/transcriptions apps.
Sketch or Doodle: Use drawing or doodling to represent your thoughts visually. Even if you're not an artist, simple sketches can help you express complex ideas.
Collage: Create a physical or digital collage using images, words, and symbols that represent different thoughts or ideas. This can provide a more abstract representation of your thoughts.
Categorize with Sticky Notes: Write down different thoughts on colorful sticky notes and group them into categories on a wall or a large surface. This physical sorting process can be quite satisfying.
Vision Board: Create a vision board using images, quotes, and concepts that inspire you or reflect your thoughts. This can serve as a visual representation of your goals and aspirations.
Bullet Journaling: Utilize a bullet journal to organize your thoughts, tasks, and goals in a creative and personalized way.
Buddy Brainstorm: Each share a topic you need help brainstorming, write down 2 to 3 items, exchange papers, write down more ideas, and repeat until no more new ideas emerge.

Use the standard paper and pencil method to capture the thoughts, or use digital tools like note-taking apps, mind mapping software, or even a simple text document to organize your thoughts. The ability to move things around and reorganize digitally can be satisfying.

Before you start a brain dump or decluttering session, I recommend that you take some time to pause Let your mind wander and use the time as an initial mental decluttering.

Listen to music that soothes your soul for 5 to 7 minutes.
Take a walk outdoors, in nature if you can.
Meditate or perform a mindfulness exercise.
Engage in a hands-on activity,

For clients that have multiple ideas or activities they are considering implementing, I suggest an iterative process of brainstorming

Brainstorm all of your ideas and keep this list for future reflection.
Identify 5 of the most urgent and/or important to move your business forward.
For each of the 5, in separate brainstorming session identify what needs to happen to implement that idea.
Periodically (not more than quarterly) repeat this process and compare your new list with the previous list and the progress you have made.

Remember, the goal is to help you release mental clutter. You can even mix and match these techniques or come up with your own creative ways to brain dump and declutter. In essence, a brain dump is a way to externalize and organize your thoughts, which can lead to reduced stress, improved mental clarity, and a more organized and focused mind.

Looking for ideas on how to now manage your To Do List, check out how to Tame Your To Do List