How to Find Some Sanity With a Mind Dump.

     Let me start by saying that I totally understand the way a woman's mind works as far as the way each subject intertwines with the next. Our minds are like spaghetti. Each thought easily slips to the next without any explanation as to how I got from the grocery list to where I left my pedometer, to why the kids have been irritated with each other, to when the last time was I changed the sheets.




     This is a normal flow of thoughts for me and I know for many women. Add a husband, and children into the mix and wow it can now go through this and so much more at lightening speed. Sometimes without the ability for me to slow it down, much less stop it to say... sleep. Praying is when I get in trouble. Prayer is supposed to be a time to sit and be still with God. UUMMMM, well.... that is almost impossible some days. Even some weeks. So why? Why did God make us this way?
      We as moms, as women are made to multitask. It is a gift and a curse. But, we do it all day long. I don't even go to the bathroom without either having something to look over or have to answer 12 questions of my children.  My answer to so much of this almost chaotic mind buzz has been a list. A simple form I made up. I use a steno pad and have it with me all the time. I can use it to write all kinds of things down when I need to. But, I mostly use it to keep my day/week all together so I don't miss anything. 

     Well, that works pretty well. How often does something different then your usual daily stuff come along and blow up your spaghetti mind? Makes it swirl and whirl to such a speed that I can almost not do anything that isn't auto pilot and stare into nothingness, not knowing how or where to start attacking each thing. Maybe it's a new deadline, maybe a new baby, a new puppy, maybe potty training, or school starting, a friendship dying out, a child going through a new phase, husband having  stuff at work that is weighing heavy on him. Any of these issues and so much more can send us into a tailspin. 

      So, now that I have pointed out the obvious, what can we do?  While on my hike one morning I was really struggling with being able to pray. I couldn't get my mind to form any sort of straight line of thought. My brain was whirling like that ride at the fair that you stand up and are strapped to the wall. Finally, I just cried out. "OH Lord! Help me with my schedule and my responsibilities. You can see them much clearer then I and can see where I need to prioritize. I'm too close to see clearly.  I have an overwhelming desire to sit down in all of it and do nothing. Please Lord help me."

      This may sound like a petty prayer to some. I mean, I'm not asking God to cure cancer or heal a sickness or even to find someone a job. I was asking him to help me with my schedule. A daily thing everyone has and must deal with. I must just be too weak to handle what I have on my plate. I mean other people do this sort of thing all the time without crying out to God.  These were my thoughts or actually the enemies. Because, why do I not think that God cares about my daily activities as well as my sanity. Let's face it. Those daily tasks and thoughts are what makes up our sanity.

      I got the strangest answer ever. The theology of how or anything else doesn't matter. I know the answer was from Him who loves me and wants me to be sane and capable. 

      The words I got in my brain were....MIND DUMP. Really? What in the world?

Inside of my brain.

     Then I saw it unfold in my minds eye. A long paper, actually pages taped together to make a sort of time line type of thing. Then I was to dump it all. Not randomly but in an order so I could see everything that I was responsible for. And by seeing it and writing it all in its own place, it was easier to see it all at once instead of thinking about it all at once. Now I don't know if it would work for you but, it helped me. Here is part of my mind dump. It is messy and not fancy. I guess I could go back and make it nicer but, I'm not sure how long I will need it. 

Yes, I know it is simple and a bit ugly but, it helped me get my spaghetti brain in perspective and then I was able to see what things were important and what wasn't.  I put at the top of each page a topic that was the main topic in my brain; like relationships, Faith, household, maintenance, homeschool, and several others. Then under the main topic I made sub topics (some times I had to add a page in between) like, under homeschool I put Organizing, planning, daily executing. Then I would add what I needed to do under that subcategory; Clean out school room, put together and clean out old supplies and list what I need new, set up all curriculum so that it is easily accessible, set up the desks, tables,  folders, etc. Anything I could think of to get ready. 

      One thing I realized in the mind dump was how many things weren't a permanent topic. Once school started back up that section would shrink tremendously. As well as, a few other topics would also be completed. Not an ongoing thing. That helped me realize that if I could put as many of those short term things in the top priority spots to get accomplished, I could slowly clear up my poor over worked brain. 

     Most of the items on the mind dump don't go away. And new items will fill up the finished ones, but this was a great way for me to stop and get off the Tilt-A-World that was my mind and grab that bull by the horns. I felt like I had some control over what my day would look like.

     I don't know if you are going through this Tilt-A-World kind of day but, if you are I encourage you to do your own mind dump. I realize it could be in a circle or a cluster or even a straight line, it doesn't matter, just however your mind works. I liked the timeline because for me, it was easy to make and to add things in the middle of a line by un-taping and adding a blank page. 

     I hope I have helped you today with my crazy thoughts and ideas. Let me know if you got anything from this today.

     Now to drink my "Yucky Tea" and build a book shelf.