Brain science based micro-writing prompts to get unstuck, think clearly, and follow through - so you can close the gap between what you're capable of and how your days actually go. Stop losing time and energy to the same loops, avoidance, and mental spin - and then use those shifts to build what’s next.
Can't turn your brain off at night? Try this.
This week's JournalingFix newsletter:
Hi, it's Aine at JournalingFix. A big thank you to Downtown Works Mission Valley for hosting a workshop last week. We had a full room, with great energy and connections. One question I keep hearing at workshops is about what happens after the workday ends: the overthinking, the spiral, the brain that decides bedtime is the perfect moment to review everything. I'm working on a dedicated resource for that. For now, here's something you can use tonight. The Tomorrow To-Do (so you can sleep now) ResetUse this when you've handled the day and you're tired, but your brain is running through everything for the next day and it feels hard to quiet it for sleep. Why this helps your brain settleWhen tomorrow is a cloud of “everything I have to do,” our brains keep rehearsing it to avoid dropping anything important. In one sleep study, people who wrote a short to‑do list for the next day before bed fell asleep faster than people who wrote about tasks they’d already completed. The simplest explanation: once tomorrow is written down, your brain doesn’t have to keep running it in the background. Other research shows something similar: when we end the day without a clear plan, those tasks fuel rumination and make it harder to rest; when we turn them into concrete next steps, that effect drops. This protocol borrows those mechanisms - you’re giving "tomorrow" enough shape that your brain can stop spinning it. Step 1 - 2 minutes: Sketch tomorrowWrite a quick list of the main things on your mind for tomorrow only: tasks, meetings, decisions, conversations. The list doesn't need to be exhaustive, it's just to put “tomorrow” somewhere your brain can see it. Step 2 - 1 minute: Choose your anchorsCircle the 1 to 3 items that truly matter for tomorrow, the ones that, if done, would make the day feel “basically on track.” Everything else stays on the list, but these become your anchors. This reduces the sense that every item is equally urgent, which is part of what spikes stress. Step 3 - 30 seconds: Add one tiny next stepFor each priority anchor, write the smallest concrete first step you can take (“open the doc,” “draft 3 bullet points,” “send the email”). Turning “unfinished task” into this is a “task with a clear starting point” is often enough for your brain to stop treating it as an open threat. Step 4 - 30 seconds: Give your brain an off‑switchWrite a closing line like: "Tomorrow has a plan. I don’t need to keep running it in my head." Why your brain won’t quit at nightA few things stack together after a long day that can make it hard to settle into sleep. Our brains are doing what they're meant to and trying to help - they replay tomorrow's tasks and worries as a kind of automatic rehearsal, making sure nothing important gets dropped. The challenge for sleep is when that replay doesn't just stop. Unfinished tasks and ambiguous "I should..." items stay active in our working memory like open tabs, and they fuel restlessness even after we've stopped consciously thinking about them. Tiredness makes it worse. When we're depleted, the parts of our brain responsible for perspective and regulation are dialed down, so everything feels more urgent and more all-or-nothing than it actually is. Nothing changed in reality but the threat system just got louder as the regulation system got quieter. Writing gives the brain what it's looking for. When tomorrow has a written outline and clear starting points, your brain's prediction system gets the signal it needs: this is tracked, it has a next move, you can stop scanning now. That's usually enough to let you rest. Coming soon: Evening & Night Reset toolkitThe protocol above was designed for one very specific pattern: when your brain keeps rehearsing tomorrow because it doesn’t feel like it has a clear outline. It won’t work for every kind of nighttime anxiety or rumination, especially worries tied to identity, relationships, or past experiences. Those follow slightly different rules in the brain and need different tools. I’m putting together an Evening & Night Reset toolkit - a companion to the daytime kit - with protocols for those other patterns (evening review, 2–4 a.m. spirals, hangxiety, Sunday Scaries, and more). I’ll share details as soon as it’s ready. Sidenote: I’m also adding a “Science & References” page to the site soon with links to the key studies that support JournalingFix protocols, for anyone who wants to do a deeper dive into related published research. Tech Ladies workshop on April 8 - you're invited!On April 8 I’m excited to be running a virtual workshop with Tech Ladies: Micro‑Journaling for Motivation, Focus, and Resilience You don't have to be a Tech Ladies member to attend (but it's a great organization so check out membership if you're interested!), and all genders are welcome. Details and the registration link here. A quick ask that will really help!If you’ve been to a workshop, tried the free PDF, or just found something here useful, I’d love to hear about it. Testimonials help people who are new to JournalingFix understand whether this work is a good fit for them, and your experience genuinely shapes what I build next. There’s also one optional question about what you’d love a resource for. Thank you in advance. I read and appreciate every response. Bring JournalingFix to your team or eventPlanning a team training, conference, retreat, or other event and think this work would land well with your group? I’d love to connect! Sessions are available as workshops, keynotes, and breakout sessions.
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JournalingFix Newsletter
Brain science based micro-writing prompts to get unstuck, think clearly, and follow through - so you can close the gap between what you're capable of and how your days actually go. Stop losing time and energy to the same loops, avoidance, and mental spin - and then use those shifts to build what’s next.
Hi, it’s Áine. I used to have a lot of shoulds in my life. I should make that appointment. I should follow up with them. I should start that project. I should go to that thing. If you, too, have a lot of shoulds, this might help. It turns out that when we think and say these types of "should" things, our brains hear a threat. “Should” usually carries two signals at once: That we’re failing some standard (we’re not enough yet). That we have a vague instruction with no clear first step. That...
This week's JournalingFix Newsletter: Why a 10‑minute task can sit on your list for a week (or more) The brain science behind “I’ll do it later” A 4‑step reset to finally get it done JournalingFix workshops and events Hi, it’s Áine at JournalingFix. You know the task. It’s been on your list for three days. Maybe longer. It would take ten minutes. Maybe twenty. And yet every time you look at it, something in you just... doesn’t. What’s actually happening Your brain doesn’t just evaluate tasks...
This week’s JournalingFix newsletter: – Why your best ideas show up in the shower (and don’t come back when you need them)– 4 quick writing steps to get brilliant ideas back on track– How to turn “lost” ideas into something you can use later Hi, it’s Áine. You know those brilliant ideas we all get when we’re in the shower, on a walk, driving, pretty much anywhere we can’t do something about them? They’re so sharp and obvious in the moment. I always think, “There’s no way I’ll forget this.”...