Brain dumping is a great tool for schizophrenia. This activity requires you to write down everything that comes to mind. This is done without judgement or analysis. It can be done on a piece of paper or a journal dedicated to brain dumping. The mind of a schizophrenic is filled with messy thoughts. Most of the time, they are intrusive and unwanted thoughts that evoke negative emotions. Scribbling your thoughts helps to calm the mind.

It is comforting that the burden of our complicated and jumbled-up minds can be eased with every stroke of a pen. Every single sentence or drawing that is created represents the present state of mind. You will notice that it is more empowering to see the thoughts written out, as the trail of thoughts slows down as you write.

Tools

Pen, paper/journal, and a timer (optional)

Steps

1. Take a piece of blank paper.
2. Scribble anything that comes into your mind.
3. Do not be alarmed if the thought is dark. It is okay to feel that way. What is most important is not to act upon it.
4. Continue writing/scribbling until you have calmed down.
5. Discard the paper.
6. Optionally, use a timer if you want to express yourself for a limited time to avoid dwelling too much on your thoughts.

What Does It Do

Scribbling down the thoughts makes us see the thoughts in words. That will help to somehow organise the jumbled thoughts. You will feel better after releasing some stress and tension by scribbling. Our thoughts are often made up of random stuff that makes us happy, angry, sad, stressed, or depressed. These complex feelings are like roller coaster rides and are tough to handle.

Thus, seeing the thoughts in words will help us to better identify our emotions and moods, like seeing them through a magnifying glass. Hence, we can have a clearer understanding of our deep feelings and realise that the thoughts are not us!

How Do I Feel After This Exercise

I usually scribble my thoughts when I am angry or stressed. After doing so, my mind feels much lighter. A sense of relief washes over me. The feeling of having control over my thoughts when I see what I have written makes me manage my feelings better. Every thought is now converted into sentences which I can clearly see and read. This helps me to differentiate that the written text is just random thoughts that do not belong to me and definitely not me!

The realisation comforts me and makes me feel better about myself.

Please leave this field empty

Let’s manage Schizophrenia together.

Subscribe for FREE Combat Kit, a self-coaching workbook I’ve developed to build my daily routine.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Please check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Otherwise, we are unable to send you the PDF.