If forgetting what I was saying mid-sentence was an Olympic sport, I’d be draped in gold and casually humming the national anthem. ADHD brains are beautiful, chaotic, and constantly full — like a browser with 78 tabs open and one of them auto-playing music you can’t find. That’s why I started brain dumping. Not to fix my brain, but to give it some damn breathing room.
Let me take you inside the mess — and show you the tool that keeps me (mostly) sane.
🧠 What Is a Brain Dump Anyway?
A brain dump is basically a no-rules mental purge. You write down everything swirling in your brain — tasks, feelings, intrusive thoughts, grocery lists, emotional spirals, potential life overhauls — all of it. It’s not planning. It’s pre-planning. The scream-before-the-strategy.
💡 Think of it as:
“Cognitive offloading” — a way to reduce the pressure on your working memory by externalizing thoughts (Hanssen et al., 2023).
🎓 In fact, researchers in a randomized control trial found that ADHD adults who used structured offloading methods like Goal Management Training had better executive functioning and reduced anxiety (Hanssen et al., 2023). Brain dumping is like GMT’s scrappy little cousin — DIY, emotional, and wildly effective.
😵💫 Why My ADHD Brain Needs This Ritual (A Real Story)
A few months ago, I had a week where I legit forgot if I’d showered, cried at an Instagram reel of a raccoon, and wrote “book dentist?” and “start podcast??” on the same to-do list. The final straw? I “organized” my desktop by dragging everything into one folder called “ugh.”
Cue: brain dump.
I opened Notion, hit a timer, and let it all spill:
- “Reply to 3 DMs”
- “Anxious about money again”
- “Why am I suddenly obsessed with tiny homes??”
- “Look up that ADHD journaling study (again)”
🎓 That’s emotional offloading, and it’s just as valid as writing out your grocery list. Mindpop (2025) says it helps ADHD brains “manage mental inventory,” which is just a nerdy way of saying: write it down so you can stop thinking about it on loop.
🔥 My 4-Step Brain Dump Routine (So Simple, I Can Actually Do It)
Here’s how I do it — chaos and all:
🕐 Step 1: Set a Timer for 5–10 Minutes
Because otherwise I’ll brain dump for 2 hours and call it “productive avoidance.”
✍️ Step 2: Dump Everything
Tasks. Thoughts. Rants. Panic about the algorithm. Even if it’s weird — ESPECIALLY if it’s weird.
Examples from my real dump:
- “Book dentist”
- “RSD spiral from yesterday??”
- “Why does iced coffee hit harder than therapy?”
- “Start brain dump blog!!!”
🎯 Step 3: Categorize Later, Not Now
Trying to sort your thoughts while they’re leaving your brain is like organizing laundry mid-spin cycle. Wait till the dump is over.
Then I go in with:
- ✅ To-dos
- 💭 Thoughts
- 💔 Feels
- 🌀 Randoms
- 🌱 Creative Stuff
💧 Step 4: Hydrate, Then Highlight
Walk away. Breathe. Come back and highlight what matters. Sometimes it’s a task. Sometimes it’s a feeling. Sometimes it’s a line that would SLAY in a reel caption.
🧩 Why This Works (Yes, Even Scientifically)
Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes:
- Reduces mental fatigue: Your brain no longer has to juggle everything silently. It’s written. It’s real. It exists.
- Creates emotional clarity: Emotional chaos is easier to manage when it’s named and visible.
- Supports executive function: Goal-setting is easier when your brain isn’t yelling 37 things at once.
💬 Bonus: Brain dumping is a self-regulation move. In ADHD research, emotional regulation improves when people have rituals that let them “feel aware and in control” (Nordby et al., 2025). This is that — but low-lift and judgment-free.
👉 P.S. This whole ritual also taps into one of our biggest ADHD motivators: dopamine. If you’re wondering why brain dumps feel so satisfying (even if you don’t get everything done), it’s partly because they trigger a mini dopamine reward from clarity and release. I dive deeper into that science (plus 7 practical tricks) in this post on dopamine hacks for ADHD brains. If your brain’s craving quick wins and relief, those tips + brain dumping = chef’s kiss combo.
🛠️ Tool Time: What’s Inside My Brain Dump Power Kit
Not to sound like an infomercial, but I turned this system into a real digital kit that ADHD brains like ours can actually use:
✨ The Brain Dump Power Kit Includes:
- 🧠 Notion + printable templates
- ✍️ “Dump Prompts” for decision fatigue days
Price: $9 (because your peace of mind shouldn’t cost your sanity)
🌀 One Last Thing Before You Go Dump Your Brain
Brain dumping won’t solve your life. But it will create space. space to plan, rest, cry-laugh at your thoughts, and maybe… do one thing without melting.
So go. Dump. And tell me the weirdest thing that shows up.
💬 DM me or comment: what’s the wildest line from your last brain dump? I’ll share mine if you share yours.
📚 References
Hanssen, P., Nordby, E., & Thorell, L. (2023). Improvement of anxiety in ADHD following goal‑focused intervention combining group-based GMT. Journal of ADHD Studies.
Mindpop. (2025). Brain Dump Techniques for ADHD: Why and How to Start Today. [Online Article].
Nordby, E. et al. (2025). Experiences of change following a blended intervention for adults with ADHD and emotion dysregulation: a qualitative interview study. Journal of Emotional Health.
