I’m kind of a sucker for self-help life-hacks. Many are worthless, but one that I find helpful is “journaling”. Of course keeping a journal is not novel, but I starting taking it more seriously after learning about Meditations by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. I recommend the blog and podcast by Ryan Holiday called the Daily Stoic as a good place to learn more about Aurelius. But there are many(!) resources available.
By writing daily – or whenever my mind feels clouded or full – I get thoughts out of my head and on paper (or in a text file). I rarely even go back and read previous entries. The point is to organize my thoughts through writing, not necessarily have the writing itself be any good . Repetition is fine; Mediations is known for many repeat passages. Poor grammar and spelling are fine. None of that matters. The point is to use writing as a tool to work through ideas, clear the mind, or just get the brain warmed up.