Day 31 – Brain Dump: The Mental Health Benefits of Letting It All Out

Ah, the final day of May. The end of our mental health challenge, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. And what better way to wrap things up than with one of my favorite practices: the brain dump.

For those who’ve never done a brain dump, let me explain: it’s exactly what it sounds like—taking everything that’s swirling in your head and pouring it out onto paper. No fancy formatting, no polished thoughts, just a glorious, messy sprawl of ideas, worries, to-dos, and, in my case, hilarious Wil-isms like:“You need to get the horses ready for space battle.”(Yes, you read that right. Horses. Space. Battle. And I’m over here wondering if I should be worried about his Star Wars obsession or proud of his creativity.)

I’ve been doing brain dumps for years, and every month-end, my notebook becomes a chaotic blend of random thoughts, memories, and emotional scribbles. I jot down what went right, what went wrong, what dreams stuck with me into the morning, and those special little moments that made me laugh so hard I nearly fell out of bed. (Thanks again, Wil, for the space horses—comedy gold.)

So… Why Does Brain Dumping Work for Mental Health?

Well, it turns out there’s some solid science behind it. Studies have shown that writing down your thoughts helps reduce anxiety, stress, and even improves problem-solving abilities. When you leave your worries swirling in your head, they tend to grow like moldy leftovers in the back of the fridge—dark, smelly, and worse than you remembered. But when you write them down, your brain processes them differently.

🔹 A 2018 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that expressive writing (like journaling or brain dumping) helps regulate emotions by shifting them from the emotional centers of the brain (the amygdala) to the logical parts (the prefrontal cortex). It’s like moving your mental junk from the junk drawer to the sorting table—messy at first, but ultimately freeing.

🔹 Another study from the University of Chicago showed that students who wrote down their worries before a test actually performed better—because getting the anxiety out of their heads left more room for problem-solving.

🔹 And let’s not forget the sheer satisfaction of crossing something off a list—dopamine boost, anyone? That’s the brain’s reward system lighting up when we check off a task or complete a thought.

In other words: Brain dumping clears the mental clutter, lowers stress, and makes room for creative and productive thinking. It’s like decluttering your emotional attic—minus the dust bunnies.

My May Brain Dump: The Good, The Hard, and The Ridiculous

This month has been… a lot. Between Mother’s Day, my birthday, and the inevitable waves of grief that come with those, I’ve had my fair share of heavy days. The mental health challenge definitely helped keep me afloat, but there were still moments of deep heartache where I found myself missing my son, my parents—just missing.

But the brain dump helps. Every time I sit down with my notebook, it feels like I’m sweeping the floor of my mind. I write down everything:

✔️ The things that made me proud (hello, trailer parking queen!)

✔️ The things that made me sad

✔️ Random ideas that popped into my head at 3 AM

✔️ Wil’s sleep-talking adventures

✔️ The moments of happiness that I needed—like the chipmunk that wandered into our campsite, or the ice cream sandwiches that made me feel like a kid again.

This month, my dump page is a patchwork of joy, grief, nostalgia, and dreams—just like life itself. And while I can’t say I’m the happiest I’ve ever been (let’s be real, I’m still working through some stuff), I can say I’m a little lighter, a little more hopeful, and a whole lot proud that I made it through this month without quitting.

So here’s to brain dumps, mental decluttering, and the power of putting pen to paper. And thank you for being here with me—reading, sharing, and doing this journey right alongside me.