Breaking Free from Morning Pages
Finding your own journalling path one word, one day at a time
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Dear friend
How are you on this rather frosty, cold, chilly, rather delightful Sunday? I’m feeling really good, because this week I’ve been blessed with the most stunning sunrise, sat on a beach with my gorgeous Ridgebacks.
Today I’m going to write about something that might be quite controversial for some, so brace yourself and please bare with me.
Let me start by saying I have immense respect for Julia Cameron’s ‘The Artist’s Way’. I’ve completed her transformative 12 week programme and genuinely enjoyed the journey. But here’s the truth - I just can’t maintain a consistent 'Morning Pages practice. And you know what? That’s perfectly ok. But honestly, for a long time, I felt a little embarrassed about how I struggled with ‘Morning Pages’. More so because I know millions of people love this practice. I get it, but for me it just didn’t work. Which left me thinking that surely there was another way, a less time consuming practice especially for someone who was desperate to adopt a more consistent journalling practice.
For those unfamiliar, ‘Morning Pages’ involves writing three pages of a stream-of-consciousness content first thing every morning.
While millions swear by this method (and by the way, it’s only one example of journalling, because there are many alternatives) let’s be real - not everyone’s morning routine can accommodate this commitment. Between walking the dog, school drop offs, running a small business, the precious morning hours are well and truly spoken for.
I honestly tried to squeeze it in before 6am, before heading out with the Ridgebacks, but I was beginning to dread ‘Morning Pages’. It felt uncomfortable and forced. There was very little stream-of-consciousness streaming. So rather than feel like a failure for not sticking to ‘Morning Pages’, I created my own journalling techniques, a tiny habit version. I won’t go into the nitty gritty of it now, but let’s just say my journalling exercises became so straightforward that both my 77 year old dad and my 12 year old son embraced them. Because here’s what I learned… journalling shouldn’t be another source of stress or guilt. It should fit seamlessly into your life, ready whenever you need it, no matter how busy you are.
In my humble opinion, the beauty of journalling lies in its flexibility. Your journal isn’t confined to those early morning hours - it’s your 24/7 therapist, ready to listen at any time. Maybe you’re most reflective during your lunch break, or perhaps your thoughts flow better during that quiet moment once the kids are in bed, or if like me your feelings are all over the place around mid morning and you need an outlet to rage. What I’m trying to express here is that ‘when’ doesn’t matter; what matters is finding a rhythm that works for you.
"A sentence a day keeps the mental chaos at bay”
This isn’t about dismissing ‘Morning Pages’ - it’s about giving ourselves permission to find our own path. Journalling is deeply personal, and what works for millions might not work for you. And that’s not just ok, it’s exactly as it should be.
After journalling consistently for over three and a half years without missing a day, I’ve come to realise that journalling should feel like a friendly conversation with yourself, not another task on your to-do list. It should energise you, not drain you. Whether you write three pages or three lines, whether it’s at dawn or at dusk, the only “right” way to journal is the way that keeps you coming back for more.
I highly recommend you pick up a notebook, or dust off your old journal, and start journalling one word a day, one day at a time. If you’re in need of more guidance here are some recent newsletter you might find useful…
Remember, journalling is about connecting with yourself, and that connection can happen at any hour of the day or night.
As I love to curate journalling prompts, and especially sentence stems, please help yourself to any of the following. Pick one that resonate in the moment, and just write when it feels right for you…
Sentence Stems:
In this moment, my mind is thinking…
The three smallest things bringing light in to my life right now are… because…
Today my energy feels like…
Next week I give myself permission to… because I understand that…
Today I’m going to let go of…
Quick fire journalling prompts:
Choose three words that capture your current reality. Expand on why these words matter today.
Identify what’s draining you. What small changes could protect your energy.
What pulled your attention in a positive way today? Try and follow that thread for the rest of the week.
What could you do in the next 60 minutes to shift your day’s trajectory?
What deserves your attention today? What deserves less?
If you found this newsletter interesting or useful, please would you be so kind and share the love.
Go gently and keep on journalling.
Until the next time
Take care and stay safe xx
What’s on with Ease in 2025
If you’d like more information about the retreats I’ll be hosting in 2025, or you’d like to join the waiting list, please don’t hesitate to email me at hello@easeretreats.com
28th March 2025 - "Finding Your Voice" Day Retreat with Laura Pashby
7th April 2025 - "Rage On A Page" with Tanya Lynch
4th April 2025 - "Re-fire with Ease" Day Retreat with Siobhan Daniels
9th May 2025 - "Substack with Ease" Day Retreat with Claire Venus
6th - 7th June 2025 - “Rest + Read” 2 Day Retreat with Lucy Pearson
13th June 2025 - “Doing Hard Things” Day Retreat with Stacey Heale
26th September 2025 - “Blueprint Your Season” with Tommy Ludgate
17th-20th October 2025 - “Digital Detox ” Weekend Retreat with Tanya Lynch
New date TBC - “Creative Unblocking” Weekend Retreat with Emma Gannon
PS. Bring your unfinished stories.
Bring your wild dreams.
Bring yourself.
Because here ‘with ease’, you are always welcome.
Food for thought as usual, Tanya. I find morning pages helps me with my writing but I agree it can be difficult to maintain. I see it slightly differently from journaling. I love journal prompts, the sitting down and reflecting on certain aspects of my life. I do both.
Morning pages is often total garbage and no I don’t always do 3 pages often 1 or 2. They are my ritual when I have given the dogs their comfort breaks, fed them, made my cup of tea and am back in bed with said tea. Nothing can happen in this house until that’s all done.
I love journaling at other times, sentence stems, micro moments etc, they make me think often about the best and worst things in my life and reevaluate.
❤️❤️
This is an interesting read. I followed The Artist's Way last spring, and it was really only the Morning Pages that stuck with me. But similar to you, sometimes they have felt forceful and not fun. So, I just made a rule to write up to three pages if I felt like it, and at a time of day that made sense to me. Sometimes that's first thing, mid-afternoon, or immediately before bed. We just have to make these practices work for us, right? Like you say, we have to find our own journaling path.