What Are Morning Pages?
If you are someone who has a lot of feelings bottled up, and in need of a way to send out all that feeling without actually talking about it, then it might be time for you to start something called the ‘Morning Pages’ in a journal.
Derived from Julia Cameron’s Book- ‘The artist way’, morning pages are streams of consciousness writing done first thing in the morning, in three pages. When writing a morning page, you are not doing actual writing; you are just jotting down the first thoughts that come into your mind in the morning, no matter how senseless they sound.
The reason it has to be three pages is that it would be easier if it was shorter. The first page has you seamlessly throwing out all the words that fly into your mind and all the feelings you woke up with, so you do not have to try. Now, when those are gone, you have to consciously think and clear out the residue feelings and thoughts from your mind, so you attend to your day with a clear mind.
What are the benefits of Morning pages?
There are a lot of benefits to morning pages, but let us look at a few of them.
1. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand
When you start the day with a mind clear of all the thoughts you woke up with, you can successfully prioritize what needs to be done for that day. When you wake up with those thoughts and launch into the day like that, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage, because there will be so many things to do at the same time, and you may not know where to start from.
2. Clear your mind
Never start the day with a cloudy mind, write away those clouds and attack your day with a fresh mind. This is an overall better way to start the day.
3. Discover creativity
While writing your morning pages, you are bound to discover more creative parts of you. Maybe not when you are writing them, but when you go back to check on that which you have written, you may be surprised.
4. Make you less anxious
You know how you wake up anxious about a new day because there is so much that needs to be done and you do not know if you are ever going to get it done? A morning page is going to help you clear out this anxiety when you write out all that you are anxious about and take a really deep breath and look at it again, you would see that you had nothing to be anxious about.
5. It is a good idea generator
The best ideas usually happen in the morning, and you would not know if you did not write it down. So this is the perfect idea generator.
6. It is an avenue to rant, vent your emotion
Most times after a crazy day we go to bed with pent up emotions that should be let out because we do not have a way we can let out those emotions. But when you wake up, your morning pages avail you that chance to vent as much as you would like.
Basics Of Morning Pages
Make it part of a morning routine
To be consistent with your morning pages, you have to include it in your morning routine, like you know that when you wake up, you have to update your morning pages.
Clear your mind
When filling up your morning pages, do not hold anything back, let it all out.
Spend 30 minutes writing
This is not a task you do in a hurry, no, you have to give it time, 30 minutes tops and you should be done.
There is no wrong way to do morning pages
Every way you intend to write your morning pages is the right way. As long as you are writing three pages of your thoughts and feelings, then you are doing it right.
Write everything that crosses your mind
As long as it comes up in your mind in the morning, it belongs in your morning pages.
They are for your eyes only
Do not show anyone these thoughts, they belong for you and you alone. Only you are allowed to go back to them later to see what your morning thoughts look like. Do not let anyone into this scared space, think of your morning pages as your sacred space.
Don’t overthink morning pages
It is not that serious. It is very important, but not that serious, don’t overthink it.
How do morning pages work on journal app?
Here are steps on how you can fix morning pages into your journal app:
- Download a journal app.
- Set a morning reminder.
- Write whatever pops in your head (remember that it does not have to make sense and probably never will, but write anyway).
- Make it look like conversations with yourself: You won’t judge yourself, have these weird, sad, angry conversations with yourself, only you aren’t talking, but writing instead.
- Make it look like conversations with your friend: We all have that friend we tell about our day or anger, our deepest secrets, well, make that friend your morning pages and talk like you will talk to your friend. If you will be screaming, write in caps with an exclamation mark. Just make it a conversation.
- If you are a photoholic person you can take a random photo and talk about it: There are words in everything, if you find them in a photograph, write about them.
- Remember this is for your eyes only: Do not share!
- Do not be frightened, to be honest, no censor, no sharing with friends: No matter how strange, weird, awkward your thoughts are, the morning pages won't judge. Keep nothing barred.
- Write about 3 pages each day.
Cheers to journaling uncensored with morning pages. It is a journey you sure would enjoy!