Brain Dump
A simple end-of-day ritual that clears everything churning in your head, so you can actually switch off and rest.
Your mind won’t stop working, even when you’re trying to sleep. That 3am jolt about an unsent email, the project detail you need to solve — it’s exhausting because your brain believes everything is still unfinished.
The Micro-practice: Spend the last 15 minutes of your workday writing everything down and assigning a next step.
How:
- List everything on your mind.
- Assign a specific time and first action for each.
- Physically close the notebook or laptop.
- Note three things you completed today.
Time: 15 minutes.
When: Daily, in the last 15 minutes of your workday.
Why this works: Unfinished tasks loop because your brain fears they’ll be forgotten. When you write a concrete plan, your brain recognises the task as managed. The loop quiets. Rest becomes possible.
When you write down a specific plan for each unfinished task (what, when, first step), something shifts. Your brain recognises the task as managed, not abandoned, and stops pushing you to think about it. The mental rehearsal loop quiets down, and your nervous system can finally rest. You’re not lowering your standards or giving up; you’re signalling to yourself that you’re competent and in control.