What’s on your mind?

Here’s a simple exercise that might save you countless hours of sleep.

Take out your phone. Go to the app store and download Otter.

Otter is a transcription and note-taking app that helps users capture spoken content. It’s made for meetings, lectures, and interviews, but can also be used for private one-on-one chats with yourself.

Open the app. Press the blue record icon. Now talk.

Talk about your worries. Your anxieties. Whatever is on your mind. Have a private conversation with yourself wherever you feel comfortable.

Press the rectangular stop button to save your chat. Then click on it from the main screen of the app to review your transcription.

Read the outline. Then close the app.

Wait a week or a month. Then open the app.

Reread the outline. Even better, play the recording and listen to your voice.

Has your perspective shifted?

Have your anxieties resolved over time?

Or, are the same old worries still troubling you?

You might notice that what was once weighing you down is now a forgotten thought, while some concerns might still echo.

Whatever the case, capturing your thoughts can be a great way to acknowledge your growth (and your capacity for resilience) if it’s the former, while giving you clarity on what needs further attention if it’s the latter.

A useful tool to help you proactively manage stress and anxiety (and identify patterns and triggers) for the cost of sitting alone with yourself.