A Warning About Writing Morning Pages!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- There are lots of videos and articles about morning pages, and they are overwhelmingly positive. But there is something you need to be aware of when writing morning pages to help maintain good mental health.
I'm a published novelist, writer, editor and Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow with 30 years' experience across business, fiction, other non-fiction, scriptwriting and education.
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After looking at some of the other comments, I would add that morning writing doesn't have to follow Cameron's prescription. You can, of course, make a deliberate decision at the outset as to what you're going to write about. If one inclines toward negative thoughts, due to depression or other cause, you can devote morning writing deliberately toward the positive. Take some lovely thing and describe or characterize it. Recall to your mind a pleasant conversation you had recently and record it. Recount something good that happened. Take something beautiful and look at it a long time -- something like a seashell or a flower -- and describe its perceptual qualities. Add to that task some ordinary tools of writing, a dictionary and thesaurus, so that you can look for and discover particular words that sharpen your focus. For example, how can you describe the color of a flower and do so with greater precision? Looking for and making a list of color related words which you then apply to this subject takes your mind into a positive direction by choice. Indeed, if someone finds that journal writing takes their thoughts to dark ideas, the deliberate decision to write about something lovely becomes action. It's a form of agency. It is in that moment a form of bold action.
Of course. But I would argue that such writing isn't "morning pages" - it's writing in the morning. Absolutely ok, and has its value in the ways you point out, but shouldn't be confused with what's prescribed in The Artist's Way.
I always leave my mornings pages with 5 to 10 things I'm grateful for now.. this (along with something you said in another video) inspired me to take up end of the day gratitude journaling.. I have clinical anxiety and depression and the simple act of gratitude has often flipped my perceptions and definitely helped me come from more grounded energy when faced with obstacles... just wanted to say thank you.. your videos truly make a difference and help people.. bless you sir 🙌
Gosh, thank you for such a wonderful comment, and thank you for watching. Just a slight refocussing of the lens can make a huge difference. Lots more to come 👍. Thanks again 🙏
Happy to find your channel. I stopped morning pages, I wasn’t sure why, I just knew I never looked forward to doing them, now I know, it was enforcing the bad stuff, thank you for giving me a new way of looking at things, as I felt like a failure for not being able to do them. Geraldine
I had a couple of days off this week. Felt down and couldn't face them. What you've done is succeeded in identifying something that doesn't work for you, which is a positive step. Perhaps try gratitude journaling to focus on the positive. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 🙏
@@sketchley I will try that tonight. I think I heard you mention it in one of your videos and thought that is such a good idea. I appreciate your suggestions. Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to watching the videos on your channel and seeing your note books and supplies, the simple large Moleskine cahiers, (7 1/2” x 9 3/4”) are some of my favourites both lined and unlined. I use them everyday for meal planning etc., good to see you like them too. I love their size and versatility. Not ideal for on the go but at home, brilliant! You’ve inspired me to start a new one today, just before going into hospital I was gifted an air fryer, never had one before so I’ve been down a rabbit hole looking for recipes, I’ve got pages and pages of scribbled notes which now make little sense now I’m back home, I’m going to start a new cahier and sketch note (hopefully) the recipes that are keepers! Hope you have a great day! Raining here in Lancashire but that’s not unusual for us!! Cricket and cycling on TV, spoilt for choice. 🥰
Great stuff! (Sorry for the delay in replying -- there's a setting I didn't know about! 🤦♂️)
Thank you. I’ve been writing morning pages for about 6 mo. Yes I have waded thru a ton of negative thoughts. In defense of free writing, for me all that stuff was being stored in my mind w/ no outlet for many years. A few months of letting it fly on paper has been cathartic. And a quieting of ugly self critic. Who is no longer the enemy trying to finish me off, but a immature protector trying to keep me from harm.
Great stuff. Seems morning pages are working their magic for you 🙏
I had this experience when I tried morning pages several years ago. They just started my day off in a negative direction and reinforced the ugly. This time around I’m having more success with a “steered” version. Instead of a ranting monologue, I still rant but conceptualize it as a dialogue with God. It’s still a rant, but when the pen pauses it’s Gods turn to answer what I’ve just written. I find that this allows me to still rant but then also find solutions rather than just wallowing. My body feels so much lighter after I do it this way. Good luck to everyone still figuring this out!
Great suggestion. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 🙏
I started writing morning pages 3 months ago. Upon reflection 80% of the content was dark and negative. I have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. I have since discontinued writing for the time being. At least writing helped me realise I am not in a good space mentally and I can start dealing with that.
Something good came of it. I hope you can address your condition. I know seeing a psychotherapist helped me.
Morning writing does have a purpose. If the purpose is to prompt a mental habit of free association, then that's the purpose. And that practice could, of course, take one into a positive or negative direction depending upon what's going on in your mind. Is free association a useful end in itself? Or if you're doing free association to generate ideas, doesn't it also make sense, once you've landed upon what looks like a topic, to drop the free association part and begin that steering? My inclination is toward the latter. The free association just becomes a way of spontaneously discovering your writing prompts. Once I find a topic to write about, I want to explore it as thoroughly as I can on that writing occasion. Then your ideas take shape. These might be ideas about your feelings or commentaries on things you see going on around you, a filling out of ideas or perceptions. It's your writing, and you can do whatever you wish.
Absolutely! Thanks for watching and taking the time to write such a strong contribution. 🙏
Although I appreciated the benefits of morning pages, I felt overwhelmed by how my negative thoughts materialized, which was quite frightening for me. For this reason, I decided to discontinue the practice temporarily. I would also like to say that your channel has been incredibly helpful and positive for me, and I'm grateful for that.
Hi. Thank you for the lovely comment. It's words like these that keep my going, because there's a lot of work involved and sometimes I struggle to maintain the motivation. 🙏 Regarding your morning pages, perhaps some prompts would help you keep things on a more positive track. I'll give it some thought and make a video 🙂. If I do, may I quote your comment?
@@sketchley yes, you may use my comment 🙏🏽
I just got an idea before I even watch your video: I could also do a few morning pages where I draw something instead of just writing so I will give that a try since I like to doodle! But the pages so far have helped me clear out all the junk that I probably didn't express on the outside and I felt so much better, and I also realized that I whatever I have been carrying emotionally, I was able to acknowledge it and release it.
That's a great idea. I think someone else asked the same thing. I think whatever works for you is fine. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment 🙏
This is why expressive writing is better. Write out exactly what you feel, and then you destroy what you wrote immediately after you finish.
Look out for destruction videos coming soon! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 🙏 Share with anyone else who might be interested...
Thanks, ive found that journalling can get me worked up and this is the first ive understood why. Possibly just dwelling and reinforcing negativity instead of neutralising it
It is a possibility. Especially if you journal before going to sleep. In this case steer yourself towards the positive. Try gratitude journaling. Just writing down all the things in life you're grateful for, then on a daily basis just a few things from the day. Doesn't have to be much, and they don't have to be big things.
This can be the case with Meditation as well
I guess so. Hadn't thought of that. I usually fall asleep!
I find typing and forming an actual poem or a story more helpful.
If you have any anxiety or sadness the morning writing can become like a song on repeat.
Far from clearing blocked energy it's like a maze and you keep looking for the exit.
Next morning it is the same again.
I like the daily calm a 10 minute meditation.
Nice coffee and that seems kinder.
Gratitude before bedtime.
Good that you recognise what works for you. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 🙏
So relieved to see this covered.. have tried morning pages in the past and feel drawn to them again, however do know that a lot of what i am being with these days is difficult and recall that writing morning pages just brings up a lot of deeper and darker stuff which does feel like reinforcing the difficult. Thank you for covering the faceted sides of what can surface from the non-and-un-conscious realms 🌊🌌
If you take on the practise again, try to steer towards the positive. We can rewire our minds. Good luck! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment 🙏
Good point Martin. Important topic. Self awareness and pattern breaking can be very useful for self-regulation and mood control. What strategies do you use if you catch yourself slipping into negative emotions? 🤔
I just try to retune the frequency to something more positive or neutral. Most of us are able to control our thoughts, not the other way around.
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