Morning Pages: for Creativity, Focus, and Reducing Anxiety

I had first heard of morning pages from a Youtube video by Tim Ferris. As I had been waking up with feelings of uncertainty due to the changes going on around me (Covid-19) and within me (my first pregnancy) I decided to start morning pages to help me cope.  

The benefits 

Although Julia Cameron first introduced Morning Pages in her book The Artist’s Way, even without reading the book, the benefits for me came about almost immediately or noticeably within the first few days. Besides decluttering my mind, which allows for clarified thinking, I suddenly felt I could focus and unlock new ideas while my anxiety reduced as I was reconnected to my intuition first thing. 

The process

As the description gives, start writing in the morning for three pages. Don’t slow down, don’t self-edit, and don’t think about passing judgment on how bad or good the writing may be. It’s not for anyone to read, even yourself, so the only requirement is to be as honest, unfiltered, and unfettered as possible. The most important thing is to practice writing as one conscious stream of thought.

Ready to get started? 

I would recommend getting good sustainable stationery. Lined paper on a standard journal and good pens that you enjoy writing with will help to avoid hand cramps and the ink running out. With this style of writing, there is no need to worry about spelling, grammar, and punctuation. If you make a mistake don’t try to correct it or you may lose the flow. Other distractions such as texts, calls, and conversations will also interrupt your stream of consciousness, so that is why I mostly like to write while I am still in bed.  

Go for it!

Besides journaling to manifest your dreams this is another way of writing to help with anxiety. Morning pages can take up to 30 minutes to complete, so dedicate the time to yourself to process and clear the head before the day. If you find it difficult to fill 3 pages then try for at least 2 and build your confidence to unfetter the mind. If this practice helps you send me a note on my contact page. I’d love to discuss and deeply connect with you too.