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Sweep

A 2-minute brain dump that closes open loops so your mind can move on.

What is a Sweep?

A Sweep is a quick brain dump — get everything out of your head and into a trusted place so your mind can stop looping.

You know that feeling when your brain is running twelve tabs at once? The email you need to send, the thing you forgot to buy, the conversation you're replaying, the deadline that's lurking? A Sweep surfaces what's taking up mental space right now and gives each thing a home — so you can move on lighter.

It takes about 2–3 minutes. You can do it anytime — between meetings, when you're feeling scattered, or when your head is just... full.

How It Works

1

Body Check (30s)

We start with your body, not your to-do list. Just a quick read: "Where's your body at right now?" This isn't meditation — it's more like checking your mirrors before driving. A word or two is enough: "tense shoulders," "tired," "buzzing."

2

Dump (1–2 min)

Dump whatever's on your mind. Work stuff, personal stuff, random thoughts — anything that's taking up space. Alfie catches the threads without going deep on any of them. No need to be systematic. If something isn't coming to mind, it's probably not the thing eating your attention right now.

3

Capture + Your Next Move (30s)

Alfie plays back what came up, and each item gets a quick label: next action, delegated, parked, or released. Then comes your next move — based on what emerged, what do you actually need right now? Often you've already named it.

Why It Works

Your brain loops on incomplete tasks — it's trying to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Research shows that making a plan for something is as effective as completing it for freeing up mental resources. You don't have to do the thing — you just have to know where the thing goes.

We use freeform dumping rather than systematic review because going through every area of your life can surface more loops than it closes — overwhelming rather than relieving. The Sweep trusts that what comes to mind naturally is what's actually consuming your attention.

And we start with the body because when your nervous system is in overdrive, your brain doesn't work as well. A quick body check creates just enough grounding to make the cognitive download more effective.

When to Use It

  • Transitions — Between work blocks, before a meeting, switching contexts
  • Overwhelm — When everything feels urgent and nothing is getting done
  • "Full head" moments — When you notice you can't focus because too much is running
  • Before deep work — Clear the decks so you can concentrate on one thing

Try It

Say "let's do a sweep" or type /sweep in chat to start.

References

  • Zeigarnik, B. (1927). "On finished and unfinished tasks." Psychologische Forschung.
  • Masicampo, E.J. & Baumeister, R.F. (2011). "Consider it done!" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
  • Gendlin, E.T. (1978). Focusing. Bantam Books.
  • Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory. W.W. Norton.