Sometimes both our work and home lives can seem so stressful and tense. It can be really difficult to find the time to sit and work out what is the best way forward… to find the space to have valuable thinking time.

And, as the saying goes, sometimes you just can’t seem to see the wood for the trees…

An essential part of my daily morning routine is writing my “morning pages”. I allocate a set amount of time, right at the start of my day, when I first wake up to transcribing my thoughts onto the page.

This sets me up for the day ahead, enabling me to focus and clear my head of the unnecessary junk that is bogging down my brain. In short, my morning pages help keep me positive, focused and motivated… and I can share this simple strategy with you now.

What are morning pages?

Morning pages are a simple act of writing down the thoughts that run through your head on waking. This means you are then free to focus on other things, without the worry of trying to process all those niggling little thoughts and worries… it clears the clutter from your mind and allows you to gain control. I owe the concept of the Morning Pages to brilliant author Julia Cameron and her book “The Artists Way”

Getting into a routine of writing morning pages is also a great tactic for dealing with stress and depression, as you can purge out the bad and insecure stuff, allowing room for the more positive and happier thoughts.

Morning pages are also a great way of staying on top of your business. By committing to writing down your thoughts and problems on a daily basis, you are actually concentrating your mind and handing the problems over to your subconscious mind to work through on your behalf.

Your 3 commandments

When it comes to committing to the act of writing morning pages, there are only a few points to remember:

  • You have to commit to writing daily notes – it needs to become habit
  • You need to be honest and write down your challenges, frustrations, anxieties and doubts, as well as celebrating the more positive achievements, creative ideas and goals
  • Review it regularly. This enables you to stay in touch with your own thoughts and feelings, reminds you of your achievements and enables you to track your progress.

So if your life is stressful or tense, or if you are struggling to see the wood for the trees, grab a notebook and pen and start writing. Get all those thoughts out of your head and onto the page. I can guarantee that it will quickly become an essential part of your daily routine… and your mind and business will thank you for it.

Do you currently write morning pages? How long have you used this tactic and what are the top benefits it brings for you? Maybe you new to morning pages and would like to share your commitment to start? Why not share your thoughts on it, by leaving a comment below?