Brain dump

Why writing it down can help

Unfinished goals tend to come back to mind at awkward moments. In a series of experiments, intrusive thoughts about an unfinished goal faded once people made a specific plan for it, even though the goal was not yet done (Masicampo and Baumeister). In a small sleep-laboratory study, people who wrote a specific to-do list for the coming days before bed fell asleep faster than people who wrote about tasks they had already completed (Scullin and colleagues).

Both studies were run with general adult samples, not with people with ADHD, and neither tested a brain dump as such. They suggest why getting items out of your head and into a plan can feel lighter.

In the middle of a workday

Halfway through a report you remember the dentist, an invoice and a reply you owe. A brain dump gives each of them a place in ten seconds, and the report keeps your attention.

Making the habit useful

• Keep one capture place, so you never wonder where something went.
• Capture fast and sort later, at a time you choose.
• Give items with a deadline a duration, so they can be planned.
• Delete what no longer matters. A capture list is not a promise.