How to Practice Mind Sweeps to Improve Your Productivity

We've all been there: between everything going on at work, at home, and in your social life, you can easily feel overwhelmed, even paralyzed. Every time you sit down to get something done, you become distracted by thoughts of some other issue you're dealing with. Whenever this happens, it's time to take a two-minute timeout to perform a mind sweep.

What is a Mind Sweep?

The concept of mind sweeps originated in the Getting Things Done method of productivity. Essentially, the idea is to dedicate a short period of time to simply getting out all of your thoughts without necessarily pressuring yourself to do anything about them.

It's a form of de-cluttering for your brain. By performing an inventory of everything that is holding your attention, you can let go of intrusive thoughts and give yourself permission to focus on a single task.

Why Mind Sweep?

There are a number of benefits to regularly practicing mind sweeps.

• They help you identify and process stressors. You may be worrying about things that you aren't even consciously aware of.

• They prevent distractions by forcing you to acknowledge and then let go of the many items on your to-do list.

• As a mindful practice, they can increase productivity and help you focus on the present.

How to Do It

The process of performing a mind sweep is simple. Grab a notebook or note-taking app and set a timer for at least two minutes. Then, simply write or type absolutely every issue that you have on your mind. Many people use lists of triggers to ensure that they don't miss anything, but you may prefer to make your list more organically.

When you're done, the best option may be to just return to whatever you were working on, enjoying the heightened attention you can now devote to that task. You can come back to the list later if you choose to. Alternatively, you might immediately reflect on what you've written and determine your next action steps. Either way, you're sure to find that mind sweeps help you organize your thoughts and enhance your focus.