ADHD Brain Dump Template (Free): Short, Messy, Done
A brain dump built for a brain that jumps around. You write one line per thought for a few minutes, park everything that isn't today, and leave with one step small enough to start right now. No perfect system to keep up.
Fill it in here
- Pick 5 minutes. Short enough to start, long enough to empty the top layer
- Tasks, worries, ideas, things you forgot, all mixed. Half sentences are fine
- If your mind jumps, jump with it. Don't go back and fix anything
- Circle up to three lines that really have to happen today
- Everything else goes here. It isn't forgotten, it's parked
- For one of today's items, the first move that takes under two minutes (open the email, find the form, text the person)
- A day and time, like Friday after lunch, so the parked stuff stops nagging you
Start writing and you can save it to Brain Dump as a note.
When to use it
- You're stuck switching between tasks and finishing none of them
- Your head is loud and you can't pick where to start
- Before bed, when ideas and to-dos keep you awake
What it's based on
Practical
Designed by Brain Dump for a common need, not based on a specific study or method.
How to use it well
Start the timer before you think about it. Starting is the hard part, so make it the easy part
Write one line per thought, as fast as you can. Messy is the point
When the timer ends, pick at most three lines for Today. Everything else goes to the Parking lot
Do the first tiny step right away, while you still have the momentum
Keep each dump as a note in BrainDump so you can search old ones instead of rewriting the same list
FAQ
Yes. You can read it here, print it as a PDF, or copy the structure into any notes app. BrainDump is free to start too, if you want your dumps saved and searchable.
Many people with ADHD find that writing everything down takes pressure off working memory and makes it easier to pick one thing. It's a practical habit, not a treatment, and it works alongside whatever support you already have.
A long list feels impossible, so it's easy to avoid. Three feels doable. Anything else is still written down in the Parking lot, so nothing is lost.
Don't make it a daily rule. Use it whenever your head feels full. The template works the same whether it's your first dump or your fiftieth.
Keep it in Brain Dump
Start a note from this template in your browser, or on iPhone, iPad and Mac. It's there whenever you need it again.
Start writing free
