Not a writer? Great—start here

If your mind goes a mile a minute when you wake up, morning journaling—or “morning pages”—can help clear the mental clutter. It’s a simple habit: write freely for a few minutes each morning to process thoughts, reduce stress, boost creativity, and uncover priorities. Whether it’s a brain dump or guided by prompts, the goal is to get your thoughts out and get some clarity before the day takes over.

Why This Works

I don’t know about you, but some mornings it feels like my brain is already mid-marathon the moment I open my eyes.

Ideas, worries, to-do’s—all swirling without any order. That’s where morning pages come in. It’s like giving your mind a place to download overnight data before the day starts demanding attention.

The upside of it is that it’s not about perfect grammar or deep insights. It’s about clearing out the vague ideas.

When you write down what’s on your mind—without editing or judging—it shifts from distracting noise to something you can actually look at and do something with.

That test or presentation you’re stressing over? Writing it down helps you realize what exactly is making you anxious and points to what you need to work on. Same goes for ideas.

A random thought about a bird outside might just turn into a painting or a project—once you write it down.

This isn’t about becoming a writer. It’s about giving yourself room to think clearly.

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How to Get Started

The good news? You don’t need much. Just something to write on and a few minutes.

Here’s what helps:

• Start small. You don’t need to hit three full pages. Try five minutes with a timer or just fill one page.

• Use whatever’s handy. A pocket notebook, a random scrap of paper, or your usual planner—whatever gets you writing.

• Find a quiet moment. Stack it with an existing habit—after making coffee, feeding the cat, or right before checking your phone.

• Don’t overthink tools. Yes, writing by hand has benefits for memory and focus. But if digital is easier for you, that’s fine too.

• Keep a few prompts nearby. These help on days you feel stuck:

  • What’s on my mind right now?

  • What am I worried about?

  • What am I excited for today?

The key is consistency over perfection.

Can’t write for ten minutes? Do two.

Didn’t journal yesterday? Start again today.

Building the habit is the win here—not hitting some legendary word count.

Extra Extra

• Julia Cameron originally came up with the term “morning pages” and it referred to stream-of-thought writing for 3 pages. More details here.

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