JournalingFix Workshop

Downtown Works Mission Valley - Aug 6 2026

BrainxWriting. The newsletter.

Once a week, practical brain science snapshots, quick writing protocols, and ideas that help you get clear, stay unstuck, and take action on what matters.

    Below are the workshop notes with protocol steps for:

    1. Open Tabs Reset - when it feels like there’s too much going on in your head, too much to do, you’re out of bandwidth

    2. Getting to the Important Work - when you’re pushing off decisions or digging into important work that will actually move you forward

    3. End-of-day closure - use this to offload and break the loops of worry and planning before sleep

    Reach out any time with questions. I’d love to hear if something from the workshop has worked well for you. - Aine@journalingfix.com (or use the contact form here)

    1. Open Tabs Reset -

    For when you’re trying to focus, but your mind keeps surfacing reminders, loose ends, tasks, and decisions that don’t feel finished yet. It starts to feel like you need to clear some mental space before you can actually get to the thing in front of you.

    Examples look like: 

    • Bouncing between tasks without finishing things

    • Feeling behind even though you’re staying busy

    • You keep surfacing reminders and loose ends while you’re trying to do something else 

    • Feeling like you just need to clear mental space before you can focus

    Step 1 – Empty the tabs

    Write:
    “Here’s what feels open in my brain right now… ”

    Then list everything that pops up - all the tasks, worries, reminders, decisions, conversations, things to deal with.

    Write fast here without editing or organizing - just unload it all. 

    Step 2 – Filter to prioritize focus

    Draw a line down the page (or make two headings): Today and Not today.

    Under Today, write:
    “Here’s what actually needs my attention today… ”

    Under Not today, write:
    “I can return to these a different day and then prioritize or let them go…”

    You can add quick notes about when or where you’ll review or handle them (tomorrow, next week, during weekly review, etc.) - this tells your brain: these aren’t being forgotten, they’re just safely parked for now.

    The goal is to let the real priorities for today be the filter. Our overloaded brains treat everything as equally immediate; this step breaks that up. 

    Step 3 – Choose one focus item

    Take a look at the ‘today’ list… 

    Write:
    “The one thing from this list I’m moving forward next is… ”

    The thing you pick doesn’t have to be the most important thing in your life, just one next useful thing to accomplish that will start reducing pressure.

    Step 4 – Define the next visible action

    Write:
    “The next physical action I’m going to take on this one thing is… ”

    Example: send the email, open the doc, make the call, check the due date, find the info you need to start.

    Make it something you can picture yourself doing in the next few minutes.

    Step 5 – Close the loop for now

    Write a closing line along these lines:

    “The rest of this list is captured for now. I can return to it and pick the next item later.”

    This provides cognitive closure: you’re signaling to your brain’s monitoring system that the other items are held and it can release the pressure of trying to hold and track them.

    2. Getting to the important work -

    Step 1 – Name it

    Write:
    “A decision or project I keep pushing is: …”

    Use simple language, just write down what the actual thing is.

    Step 2 – Surface what’s underneath

    Set a timer for this part - just 5 to 10 minutes. When you think about actually sitting down and working on this, describe what comes to mind here:

    What feels hard about it? What feels like pressure? What’s something you’re afraid will happen if you work on it or complete it?

    Exs:

    • “I really want this to work because it could move me to the next level.”

    • “If I do this badly, people will see.”

    • “It feels like a test of whether I’m actually good.”

    • “There’s a lot riding on this financially or reputationally.”

    Naming this and writing it down shifts activity to your prefrontal cortex where you can observe and work with it differently - think about it like going from autopilot to driving the plane.

    Step 3 – Define the first visible action

    Write down the next small physical action you can take on it.

    This should be something you can literally picture doing in the next 5-15 minutes:

    • “Open Notes and type a working title.”

    • “Open my slide deck and add one new slide.”

    • “Draft the first sentence of the email, even if it’s bad.”

    Don’t use a statement like “Work on it” - it’s too vague; your brain needs a tiny, concrete move. Take a look at the action you wrote down and see if you can make it even smaller.

    Write:
    “The only job today is to make contact with this, which changes my relationship to it.”

    3. End of Day Closure

    Step 1

    Write: “Here’s what’s still replaying from today…” and just make a quick list.

    Don’t get into editing or narratives - just offload what’s still on your mind from the day.

    Step 2

    Write: “Here’s what’s on my mind for tomorrow…”

    List these as specific visible actions. The more specific you are, the better your brain can release them.

    Step 3

    Write down an entry point for each item on your list for tomorrow, assign a time or time of day if it makes sense to do so.

    Doing this tells your brain that you’ve given tomorrow a clear map - it doesn’t need to keep planning.

    Write an ending phrase that works for you, like - “All of this is parked here and saved. My only focus now is to get rest.”