The life-changing practice of morning pages

It was something I’d wanted to try for a while. Over the years, I’d heard many extol the benefits of a daily journalling practice, but I didn’t think it would be that helpful. Or that it would be for me. I was curious though and decided there was no better time to test out this new habit. So on December 24, 2019, I picked up my pen and wrote my first set of morning pages.

I remember that first day. I wrote with an unpracticed and awkward motion. My hand ached. I wrote some more. And then I wrote again the next day. And the next. It’s hard to believe it’s been eight months since I embarked on this experiment, not knowing what to expect. I am still writing morning pages every single day — and it has become my favourite mindfulness practice.

Journalling helps release mental clutter.

Morning pages are three full-size pages of longhand stream of consciousness journalling that was introduced as a daily practice in The Artist’s Way — Julia Cameron’s 12-week program to discover and recover your creative self. The key to morning pages is to write exactly what is on your mind, without censoring yourself and without judgment.

I usually write my morning pages an hour or two after I wake up — once I’ve gotten ready for the day, checked on Truffle and Lulu, fussed over my houseplants, and steeped my tea. When I’m ready, I wrap myself in a cozy robe, nestle onto a couple cushions placed in a patch of morning light, and get writing.

Back in December, three pages of longhand journalling took me 40 minutes to complete. The more I wrote, the stronger my hand muscles became (truly!), the less I censored myself, and the faster I penned my thoughts. I now complete my morning pages in about 20 minutes.

I use a simple ballpoint pen and these pads of paper. I have a Mildliner nearby in case I come up with any ideas I want to keep — I quickly highlight them so I don’t interrupt my flow and later transpose them to a more “permanent” location. I write on the front and back of each page, and I shred my morning pages every two days, once I’ve filled up three sheets of paper.

This practice has changed my life.

My morning pages are usually filled with rambly run-on sentences. Sometimes I write the same thing over and over again. I don’t always have ideas or breakthroughs. But each session yields tiny benefits that have gradually added up to big changes in my life. Here are the main benefits I’ve noticed:

Morning pages help me moderate and release my emotions. This has been particularly useful in the climate of the pandemic, blatant racial inequities, natural disasters, and the general divisiveness that surrounds us. I’ve been frequently experiencing emotional roller coasters, where in one day, I can feel anger, frustration, helplessness, sorrow, anxiety, hope, excitement, and happiness. Writing helps bring these emotions into sharp focus — I allow myself to feel them deeply and then I let them flow through me. After a morning pages session, I can usually channel my emotions toward an end goal, rather than feel overwhelmed and exhausted.

Morning pages help me generate and hone my ideas. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about myself, it’s that I have a lot of ideas — and not all of them are good. I tend to get overly excited about things. The problem with this is that I get distracted and pulled in different directions, so I’m lacking the singular focus I need to see a project through to completion. This is something I’m working on reigning in and the daily journalling practice has helped. I use my morning pages to explore my excitement and I often begin to see why a shiny new idea isn’t the best, at least for right now. Sometimes I get ideas that I feel are leading me in the right direction, and I use my morning pages to refine those into actionable initiatives.

Morning pages help me increase my motivation and momentum. My default mode is future-oriented, which means I love making plans and looking into the future. This is evident in my morning pages, as my thoughts invariably drift toward wondering what will happen next — both in terms of my life and in the broader perspective of society and humankind. I don’t always write about the big-picture future though; more often, I take a micro view and write out the things I have on the go that day. Using my morning pages in this way helps with motivation and momentum. I used to think that taking the time to write morning pages every day would be a hit to my productivity, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. I’m eager to get moving on the items on my “task list” as soon as I’m done writing. It’s a beautiful way to jump start my day.

Morning pages help me let go. In the past three months, when I was completing morning pages as part of The Artist’s Way program, I noticed another benefit with this practice — morning pages help with my FOMO. I’ve realized, in a penetrating-your-core-being sort of way, that everything is transitory: my ideas, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Now, when I fear missing out on something, I know that the feeling will pass. Beyond that, this practice has helped with my hoarding tendencies. After shredding eight months’ worth of thoughts, ideas, and emotions, I’ve realized there is no reason to keep morning pages I have no intention of ever reading again, that their presence was sapping my energy, and that I wasn’t losing anything by saying goodbye.

As I continue writing daily morning pages, I’m excited to see what will bubble up. I still don’t know where this practice will take me in the end, but I’m ok to let that go. What I do know is that this practice will help me understand more about myself as I continue to change and grow.

For more of my favourite self-reflection activities, click here. ♥︎