You know that feeling of when the thoughts inside your mind keep swirling around on a continuous loop? As if your brain is wanting to constantly remind you of important things so you don't forget? Yet in all that chaos, you can't sort out your thoughts so nothing productive actually comes of it?

Yeah, we know it too.

That is the reason that Dr Al came up with the four buckets technique.

Now, I don't know about you, but I often get the sense that my head is really full of thousands of things that need to be done, and yet when I make the time to sit and write it out the list is actually shorter than expected. The swirling mess in my mind creates the illusion of the problem being so much bigger than it actually is. Getting it down on paper allows me to see what I am really dealing with, and thus make a plan to tackle it.

However, a disorganised to-do list is not helpful. That is why we offer the Four Buckets technique to structure the way you go about this. A schedule of tasks is way more helpful that a list because a schedule will help you to allocate the time to get the task done. A to-do list will just nag you until the list is finished, and I know in my case I am very good at adding to that list faster than crossing stuff off.

So here is the four buckets technique.

Download the "Order Your Chaos with Four Buckets " handout. Sit at an uncluttered table with these worksheets. If your brain is super full, you might like to use the the big worksheets so you have one full page per category. If it's not too bad, you might be able to get away with the single sheet of four buckets.

Set aside 10-20 minutes. Close your eyes. Pay attention to the thoughts that bubble up. As the thoughts bubble up: write the thoughts down in their appropriate bucket.

To Do Soon:

This stuff is the urgent or easy stuff that needs your attention soon so you can knock it off your list.

This might include things like paying bills, signing kids permission slips, writing your grocery list, etc.

To Do Later/ Projects:

The less urgent yet still important tasks that need your attention that perhaps are big jobs that need planning.  This might include things like organising the garage, planning a birthday party, finishing a big project at work or school, booking your next holiday, etc.

Deeper Stuff

This may include anything that is not urgent, yet may also be harder to action. Sometimes things bubble up for us that remind us of what is important, but we may not always see the immediate way forward. This could be things like wishing you could fix your relationship with your mother, or wanting to spend more time playing with the kids. Or that past trauma memory that keeps intruding on your thoughts. This is probably the bucket you need to share with your therapist.

Junk

This one is for the random stuff that your mind generates that doesn't really need any action. The shower thoughts that make you realise that your bed is just a shelf for your body when you're not using it. This stuff doesn't need to be actioned so we can work on letting it go.

If you often feel that your head is full, then get into the regular habit of using the four buckets. Over time, you may relabel the buckets to suit your needs and that's fine. Either way, it is important for you to take control of your mental chaos so you can sort your sh*t out.

Need more?

Watch this video of Dr Al explaining and using this technique and then jump to our Resources page to download the handout.