The morning pages: a mixture of journaling and meditation. This daily journaling practice may help ease anxiety, increase productivity, and rid the inner critic.

What are the “Morning Pages”? 

The concept and practice of the “morning pages” was coined by artist and author, Julia Cameron. Her 1992 artist workbook titled The Artists Way introduced the practice of morning pages. 

The morning pages are a form of a stream of consciousness journaling. They are done every day, in the morning, and the goal is three pages of longhand writing. 

There is really no wrong way to do morning pages, however, there are two rules: 

1. Don’t think too hard about this, write anything that comes to mind.

2. Do this with pen and paper, speed is not of the essence. 

The goal is to slow down and mind dump anything that is lingering or festering in your mind. What you write in your morning pages can be the most mundane of thoughts. The point is to externalize mind chatter, to eventually, experience a clutter-free mind. 

Through morning pages, people around the world have been able to calm, soothe, and center themselves. These pages are not to be reread or shared with anyone. Don’t worry about grammar, sentence structure, or even legibility. 

The practice is simply in the release of your thoughts, to make room for clarity. This practice is very similar to mindful meditation. 

How to do the “Morning Pages” on Journify?

Luckily the morning pages practice is easily adaptable to audio journaling. Instead of writing three pages we simply aim to speak for 10 minutes or more. 

With Journify this can be done strolling around your house or garden with a cup of coffee or sitting in your favourite seat. 

How are the “Morning Pages” helpful?

Every moment, we have multiple things running through our minds. Things we have to remember to do, things that happened earlier, people who are annoying us, due dates that are looming. 

The mind is burdened, constantly. 

While it’s great that our minds can handle so much, it isn’t necessarily peaceful or conducive to productivity. 

Morning pages, done first thing in the A.M, is the invitation to release all the chatter that clogs up our flow. 

“I have no idea what I’m going to get my father for his birthday...”

“Today I am feeling a little tired and so irritable... ”

These are all thoughts that can rattle around somewhere in the mind, taking up energy, while simultaneously trying to create, or innovate, or problem-solve. 

Releasing these thoughts in a tangible way can help turn down the volume of our minds so we can focus and slow down. The benefits are very similar to that of mediation. 

If you are not someone who enjoys meditation because it’s hard to quiet your thoughts, the morning pages style of journaling could be a great fit.

Here are 3 ways morning pages can benefit you:

Morning pages, when done daily, takes discipline -- which can be a teacher in itself. This tool can be used to enhance your creativity while also tending to your mental health.

Here are some ways morning pages could benefit you:

1. They can calm you and clear your mind

Our mind is always rattling around thoughts, feelings, and worries. In the morning your mind could be swirling with what you need to get done today, what you didn’t accomplish yesterday -- the list goes on. Writing these thoughts down can help to center you, and clear your mind. 

The to-do lists don’t necessarily go away, but the mess of the mind has been tended to; it’s clearer as though you’ve swept through your busy mind and tidied it up.

2. They can help melt away anxiety 

Today’s world can cause so many emotions. And the accumulation of these emotions leads to overwhelm. Overwhelm can breed anxiety. 

Letting go of your emotions onto the pages of your journal could help you put down some of the emotional burdens you carry. 

Morning pages can help you slow down and take stock of what you are feeling, and can help relieve some of the emotional tension. 

3. They can help squash your inner critic 

Everyone has an inner critic, and what good does it really do us? Most of us, especially those of us who are creative, can be very critical of our ideas. Before we even put an idea onto paper, we stop ourselves. This inner critic can not only be bad for our mental health but can keep us from being our most creative selves. 

The practice of writing anything, with no expectation of ourselves is a form of creative freedom. This freedom from self-criticism can be learned and thus, expand into other parts of our lives.

How to integrate daily morning pages 

This one is simple. 

Grab a pen, a journal or Journify -- and write or say anything that comes to your mind. Don’t hold yourself to any standard, don’t hold back, just let the thoughts flow. 

First thing first ☀️

Do this in the morning, perhaps after your cup of coffee. You’ll begin to see the positive effects after a few weeks. You’ll notice you are calmer, more creative, and less burdened by stress. 

Try it at night 🌙

If your mind is busy with thoughts while trying to fall asleep, try this journal meditation at night to help clear your busy mind. 

Work it into your routine 💪

When you start a morning pages practice, try your very best to keep to it. Try to make this a part of your daily routine, like taking your vitamins, or washing your face; work in time for morning pages. 

When you do, you could find a heightened sense of inner peace, clarity, and creativity. 

About the Author:

Franco is a Medical Content Writer by day for Strut Health and an eCommerce guru by night. He enjoys creating content that helps illustrate words in a unique way to readers.
In his spare time, he can be found on his off-grid home on the island of Puerto Rico gardening and eating fresh mangoes.

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