What Are Morning Pages? The How To and Benefits of Morning Pages
What are morning pages? Morning Pages is a concept that was introduced in 1992’s The Artist’s Way by author Julia Cameron. The basic idea behind writing morning pages is to write three total pages of prose by hand every morning when you first wake up.
It’s a journaling practice that offers many benefits and has become popular among various people, not just artists.
Keep reading to learn more about this simple yet effective activity. It could just change your life.
About Morning Pages
The trick to Morning Pages is that you must write them by hand, not using an electronic device, and you need to fill three total letter-size pages.
In addition, you’ll receive the best benefits if you write them first thing when you wake up. This allows you to approach your journaling with a fresh mind before you allow your ego to throw things such as self-doubt and limiting beliefs your way. There are no other rules to Morning Pages. Specifically, you can write whatever and however, you want.
The point is to fill your pages with a stream of consciousness. That means writing anything and everything that comes to your mind. There’s no need to overthink them or worry about the writing you produce. Your writing is for you and you alone.
Morning Pages Benefits
Keeping up with your daily Morning Pages offers the most benefits, so try not to skip a day. Morning pages benefit your mind, so you can focus on the tasks the day might bring. When you start getting into this practice, you’ll notice that your mind will seem less cluttered, and your focus will improve.
It helps to get all your racing thoughts out of your brain and onto the page. Morning Pages also give you an outlet for your creativity. Once you start, your momentum will increase, and you’ll notice a creative boost throughout your pursuits. Through this morning’s writing ritual, you’ll also gain perspective and quiet anxiety and stress.
Ways to Fit Morning Pages into Your Day
You might think you don’t have time to take on this journaling practice, especially if you’re not a morning person. You might be surprised how easy it is to sneak a few minutes into the start of your day. The key is finding a way to fit this new habit into your already-existing routine.
The most obvious way is to wake up about a half hour early. This lets you have some quiet time before anyone else in your household is awake, and you can get a jumpstart on your day. Perhaps you’re someone who enjoys taking a bath. You could try to write in your journal while soaking. Or maybe while your family has breakfast, you can sneak away for some alone time. Think about your routine and decide what would work best for your lifestyle.
How to Get Started
- Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
- Take out a notebook or blank page of paper and a pen/pencil.
- Spend at least 5-10 minutes writing whatever comes to your mind.
- Try to avoid judgment or self-critique on what you are writing.
- Allow yourself to express whatever emotions or thoughts come to mind, even if they seem random or far-reaching.
- You can write about anything: your hopes, fears, worries, emotions, goals, etc.
- Once finished, put your notebook away and move on with your day.
Give Morning Pages a try and see if it’s a practice that works for you. It’s easy to fit into your existing routine, and the benefits are well worth the effort. The best part is that it only takes 10-20 minutes to get it done, and you don’t even need to be a great writer to do it.
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