The Mind Dump:
Practicing Good Mental Hygiene
By Virginia Lacayo, PhD
Our mind produces around 70,000 thoughts per day. The majority of these thoughts are negative and sabotaging. This is because, left unchallenged, our brain sees everything as a threat, including our efforts to live with purpose, and change and evolve. If we are not aware of these negative or intrusive thoughts, we assume that these thoughts are accurate and act on them as if they were. Most of the time, these thoughts are not only untrue, but they can also be counterproductive, very limiting, and even paralyzing.
If your negative and sabotaging thoughts are persistent, you may need the help of a coach or therapist to change them, but often just some awareness and some good mental hygiene is a great start.
Learning to identify and purge your mind of negative thoughts is an essential part of being a History Shaper. We define a History Shaper as a conscious leader with a calling, a great brand, and what I call an Indomable mindset.
All History Shapers had some sort of process for cleansing their mind of negative thoughts. This is an essential part of developing a truly critical mind that allows them to distinguish between facts and illusions, recognize the patterns of interactions that shape the behavior of the system they are part of, and become aware of the socializing and gaslighting tactics they have been exposed to. They’ve also developed a healthy skepticism about what their mind tells them about who they are, what is true and what is possible (or not). Developing a critical mind and mastering their ego and emotions this is the foundation of my Indomable coaching program.
Without good mental hygiene, these negative thoughts accumlate in the mind and impede our decision-making, influence our point of view, and impact our overall well-being. Until we deal with them, they will multiply and create further mental toxicity. And if you are trying to shape history, these negative thoughts will be used to try to control you.
Even a few simple exercises can help create some spaciousness between ourselves and the bombardment of mostly negative thoughts we experience each day.
One such exercise is a Mind Dump. This is how I go about it:
Every morning, before starting my day, I have the ritual of doing a mind dump, which means putting in writing every single thing that is going through my mind at that moment. Then, I read what I wrote as if someone else had written it. That helps me to evaluate each one of those statements in a more objective manner. In most cases, just this part of the exercise puts into perspective my interpretations of reality, I become aware of what I am making it mean about me, my life, what has happened, and what other people said and did. I can then evaluate if those interpretations serve me or not to feel what I want to feel or behave the way I want to do.
Putting all your thoughts in writing is essential to this process because it helps you see them as independent ideas from yourself and it helps you become aware of some of your unconscious (often limiting) beliefs. As the saying goes, "It's very difficult to read the label from inside the bottle."
If you don't know how to start or if your previous attempts haven't been very productive, here are some recommendations for doing your mind dump:
Start small.
You can set an alarm and decide to write for 5 minutes. We all have five minutes, no matter how busy we are.
You don't need to write about heavy or deep things. If you're just starting out, you can simply write whatever comes to mind. Anything goes. In the beginning, your mind will offer you only the safer thoughts; those that don't make much noise (your mind knows you're observing it 😊), but after a minute of writing, the ones that are truly sabotaging and noisy will start to come out. You can write about what you think will happen in your day, the things that worry you, something that happened, or something you think might happen.
Try to create the habit of writing every day. It's very helpful to write at the same time every day, whether in the morning with your coffee or at night before going to bed.
Use your smartphone.
The best option for doing your mind dump is to always carry a notebook dedicated solely to that purpose. But don't stop doing your mind dump and experiencing all its benefits just because you don't like writing or you don't have the conditions to do it. You can use the Notes application on your phone and even dictate your thoughts to your phone to transcribe them. That way, you'll always have your journal at hand, and you can add or evaluate your thoughts at any time.
I personally recommend writing by hand because it activates important parts of your brain that help you be present during the exercise and develop a different state of consciousness. But start where it's easiest for you. The easier it is for you in the beginning, the more consistent you'll be, and that's what matters.
Reflect on what you have written.
Once you have done your mind dump, review what you wrote (you can do it a few hours later to create some distance from your thoughts and review them when you're clearer). Try to read what you wrote as if someone else had written it and ask yourself questions like:
Is what is written 100% true?
Is it possible that someone else could interpret what happened differently?
What would your boss, mentor, coach, partner, colleague, or anyone else would think of the statements you wrote?
Would they agree or could they see it from another perspective?"
The other advantage of writing daily is that later on, you can review what you wrote and see how much you have evolved in that period. Seeing how far I have come since the previous year or even the last three months keeps me inspired and consistent.
It's not all about text.
Keeping a journal and doing a mind dump is not just about writing; you can also draw, add stickers, color, create art, or use any other form of expression.
This activates both parts of your brain, and we already know that two brains think better than one.
Use guiding questions to write.
There are dozens of guiding questions for journaling or doing a mind dump that you can find on the internet or in some of my free guides. Sometimes, having a specific guide to start writing can be helpful. Take advantage of the available resources.
You will know that a mind dump is working when you begin to notice a sense of spaciousness, positivity and lightness - and you use this newly found energy for creating, innovating, connecting with others, investing in your well-being, and other healthy, world-changing practices. You will inmediately see changes in your results.
Try doing this exercise and let me know if you discover something about yourself or your current situation that you hadn't seen before. I would love to read your thoughts in the comments.