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I've maintained this discipline for over 30 years, on the days i dont do it, a fog descends. Cannot recommend morning pages enough, particularly when you meet people afterwards you have already cleared your throat !

Very interesting

Why not try the soft cover version so you don't have to remove the cover?

An Artist Date for me is watching - eath/nature documentations with scientific Mysterys … f.e. thinking over the flat earther community - why illuminits say that medieval science has a flat Earth world Image

ICE bathing. I crafted falling Stars from ceiling - feeling is great below

Leuchtturm A5 and A6 here, and the odd notebook from Bindewerk with luxurious italian paper. I use fountain pens, so the Moleskine is a waste of money for me - completely useless... :(

I wrote Morning Pages seriously during 2020, at the peak of the Covid pandemic. During this period I might have written for eight weeks straight, so I wrote 180-200 pages by hand (average was 3 pages a day). Writing whatever comes to mind, even drivel, helps with my anxiety. There is crossover with what James Pennebaker recommends in his "Expressive Writing" methods: you're giving your brain a chance to depressurize at the top of the day, instead of waiting until the evening when you're tempted towards unhealthy ways of taking the edge off, like drinking (which I'm guilty of doing). Our brains accumulate a lot of amorphous rubbish that needs channeling: without an outlet, you get backed up, you feel overwhelmed, stagnant, and powerless, for the simple reason that you're not expressing and forming that shapeless but heavy burden in your head into clear shapes, clear structures, clear thoughts, and clear words. A crucial insight I pinpointed in my first week of writing during that period was that the word "Flow" appeared in my writing and it became a keyword or a mantra for me, a reminder to always be letting stuff out, through your journaling, your speech, or in the case of my hobby at the time, which was photography. This idea of maintaing an unbroken Flow carried over into my photography, whereby I visited a new location every day and shot photos of it. For 30 days I shot 250-500 photos of a pre-determined place, I'd edit the photos, and publish them on Instragram. There was a reward I felt for making myself "flow" throughout the day and the photo represented the end of that day's journey. I would say there is definitely a carryover effect of the Morning Pages into your life. They aren't just an isolated activity in your life: through them I learned the importance of spontaneity, openness, expressiveness, and staying in motion over and over again. Currently I'm at a crossroads in my life and I'm contemplating a move to a new city: I'm beginning my pages again four years later. Wish me luck!

Thank you Martin, well I hear you . .and can asure you, you are not alone if it helps ;-) Just started to read STOP OVER THINKING to make myslef confident again and to make myslef to go back to my routines. It really just could be the lack of D vitamin, or simply things just not moving the way we are used to. Interesting idea about the yoga / men talk group. Be well. You are an inspiration.

My favorite notebook is self-made stichbound hardcovers, definitely without lines, using wallpaper for covers. Rewarding to make and fill.

Thank You for the reminder, this time of year especially! I think key is don’t be too hard on yourself, you can only do what you can do ! There’s a very good sleep doctor called mathew Walker he’s done a number of podcast. Hour world isn’t built for sleep with all the noise and flashy devices etc.Headspace has some good stress and anxiety courses, but talking is best also. Hope everyone takes care !

Great reminder, thank you. Because of one of your videos, awhile ago, I started a worry journal. Just one a5 page of worries but I end with an a5 page of gratitude so I'm walking away with a higher perception. I have huge anxiety issues and the practice you helped me introduce has helped me immensely. OK so I'm a female living in Australia so not really the target audience for this video but you sir are helping people far and wide. Bless 🙏

I junk journal many of my A6 and fieldnotes sized notebooks now as the postage & handling and ordering fieldnotes online is too rich for me plus the 48? pages doesn't work for my notes diary. I got my first molekine three pack locally and the extra pages should work a treat. I have an everyday carry leather River Song Travelers Notebook cover from Altguild on etsy that I populate with fieldnotes/moleskine/junk journals and pockets... it gets chunky but the passport size fits comfortably in my hand... feeling good. I am always 'researching' notebooks, journalling, how-tos, crafting notebooks, minimal edc, etc.. My husband laughs when I do a show and tell when I organise my latest current collection. Notebooks and organising are my stimming.

Suggestion: write the date, place and cost of the notebook inside the cover for reference...

For sure! Just started a problem solving journal

Hi.

I just bought one from Jetpens and didn't realize how big it really is. Great review Martin! I'm not sure how I will use it

I actually use morning pages to help me journal more coherently 😂

I don’t know. On the other hand, it is what it is. My Pages, as every one of my days start as a profanity laced cathartic stream of anger & contempt… It’s just my default setting with Dysthymia. But I acknowledge & accept it all, then I use pg. two to manipulate how I’m picturing these issues in my mind, stand (sit) tall, and pg. 3 to deliberately articulate the other perspective/ CBT Rational Response.

I’ve been doing this for >20 years. For the past year I usually do the first page with my left hand. It’s great to accelerate getting in a trance like zone because of the intense focus it requires..

I have a couple of journals this size. Still pondering how I can use them. Thanks for review. I am thinking of using one for brain dumping - keep it by my bed to unload random crap keeping me awake!!

Enjoy the >>PRESENT<< 💗

Watching you deconstruct this notebook rattled my adenoids and made my teeth itch. However, one of my biggest challenges to journalling has been the fear of messing up a beautiful new notebook. Being intimidated by all that blank paper. assuming my thoughts must be perfectly addressed, contained, legible, etc. So, breaking in a notebook, by breaking it, is very appealing to me. Thanks for sharing!

I like writing a gratitude for each day. Thanking God for all what he have been doing to me.

The opportunity to collaborate sounds excellent! Congratulations 💝

It would be hard to recommend to do something differently to my past self because then I might not end up where I am today 🤔 It could be good to go take a peek at some of the choices I didn’t choose just out of curiosity 😅 obviously as a person who might better appreciate those things now 🤷‍♀️

Perfect! 💗

I love your video style!! 💗

Thanks, Martin - Stuart's my real name. I very nearly went for a Leuchtturm 1917 A5 when I was in a well-known chain of bookshops in Exeter this afternoon, but I spent my pocket money on Karla's Choice, although the next tab is open on Amazon

The Moderno A5 dotted are my current fav find. I keep buying them in different colours, the paper is really good with no bleed and isn't too expensive. Just disappointed that I never find a plain or dotted A6 only lines.

This book changed my view on life. I'm a mother and a nurse and a wife and that's enough for me 😊

Very nice review, thank you Martin

It's so sad... My heart goes out to all the beautiful Leuchtturm covers that just end up discarded! XD I'm glad you're getting what you need out of the paper, dude. That's what it's really all about.

He could have just bought a soft cover leuchtturm instead of doing all of that.

8:40 to get to the f'ing point.

You could also add a soft cover (just a piece of card stock or something similar) in case you ever wanted to take it out

Now I'm prompted to respond to your ideas. Ending the day this way for years is a great way to wrap up and revisit. I try to keep it positive...or at least find the positive even if things went awry. Thanks for the reinforcement. Also strongly agree it must be written and not just thought.

Thank you, Martin!

I love the look and want this notebook! The look is perfection. Can’t wait to feel the paper.

You are certainly not alone in wishing you had any type of notes on thoughts from past times. While it would definitely be interesting, would it really be helpful for our now and our future? Something to ponder...

Great advice, Martin. Morning pages helped me process my own dark night(s) of the soul, but only once I started using them intentionally to work through what I was thinking and feeling. I started coming to the page as if I was about to hear from a wise sage, and I let that part of me do the speaking. It was healthy and helped change my trajectory. Thanks for your insights!