Morning Pages - A Way To Start Your Day
We are always on the lookout for interesting ways that we can promote the benefits of a tidy and clean space as well as support our cleaning fairies and clients on their journey towards a happy, fulfilled life.
Today we're going to introduce you to (or maybe remind you of) a ritual that was conceived by a creativity guru from the states back in the early 1990s. First written about in ‘The Artist's Way’ by Julia Cameron, it is the exercise of committing to writing three pages of worries, concerns, agitations, by hand, as soon as you wake up.
Named ‘Morning Pages’, it is a way to clear your mind of negativity and complaints, to allow yourself the space to get any of those irksome morning thoughts about things you need to do, should have done, don’t want to do out onto paper. If done regularly, it helps you think more clearly and get those petty, grumpy and weighty worries out and give you space for creative, ambitious, exciting thoughts to start to flood in - woo!
“It’s as though you have taken a little dust buster and you go poking it into all the corners of your consciousness and you come up with what you put on the page.”
What comes out doesn’t need to be interesting or creative, it doesn't need to read well or be something that you return to and revisit, it’s like washing your skin in the shower, working yourself over and giving you a chance to break free from cluttered worries that clog your brain.
“Once we get those muddy, maddening, confusing thoughts [nebulous worries, jitters, and preoccupations] on the page, we face our day with clearer eyes.”
Sceptical? Yeah, I hear you - but here are some examples of what others say about it...
“My pages would make hideously boring reading for anyone who chose to snoop, but somehow, it works. It clears the detritus from my brain and allows the bubbles of inspiration to float to the surface.” The Bulb
“Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised at how powerful Morning Pages proved, from day one, at calming anxieties, producing insights and resolving dilemmas. After all, the psychological benefits of externalising thoughts via journalling are well-established. And that bleary-eyed morning time has been shown to be associated with more creative thinking: with the brain's inhibitory processes still weak, "A-ha!" moments come more readily.” Oliver Bukeman, The Guardian.
“Morning pages don’t need to solve your problems. They simply need to get them out of your head, where they’ll otherwise bounce around all day like a bullet ricocheting inside your skull. Could bitching and moaning on paper for five minutes each morning change your life? As crazy as it might seem, I believe the answer is yes.” Tim Ferris, The 4 Hour Working Week.
Julia Cameron says that there are some key factors that help this practice work.
Write first thing in the morning “You are trying to catch yourself before your ego’s defences are in play” - when your mind is free of the structure of the day and you are just able to let go, rather than think too deeply about what you are writing.
Write by hand Computers give us the chance to rewrite and restructure our thoughts on a page, writing by hand encourages you to keep going, whatever you are spilling out. It also allows you to write quickly and freely, meaning that you will find those dusty corners of your mind.
Realise that the second page-an-a-half comes harder While you may splutter out all sorts for a few pages, there will come a point that your mind will seemingly dry up. But you know that’s not the case, you know there is more in there that is worrying or bothering you than you’ve let on. Often those last few sentences are the golden nuggets you’ve been hiding from.
Don’t write more than three pages After three pages you must stop to avoid “self-involvement and narcissism” from creeping in and impacting your day. Once your brain sweep is complete it’s time to get on with your day and let those good, creative and exciting thoughts flood in.
We’d love to hear if you have given this a go, did you experience results? Was it hard to keep going? Or if you are going to give it a go then keep us updated!
Lots of love
Jules & The Fairies
Eco Cleaning Fairies is not just a cleaning company, we see ourselves helping our clients focus on the things that are most important to them and taking control, rather than letting things build up. We believe that having a clean, hygienic and welcoming space after a cleaning fairy has been enables you to think more clearly and to focus on enjoying life. Find out more about our Domestic Cleaning Services and Commercial Cleaning Services.
