Morning Pages
I talk a lot about taking time to experiment when it comes to self-care. Find out what you like and don’t like. Self-care should not just be about the mundane things we MUST do to care for ourselves. It should also be about the things we enjoy so much they fill us up. Because I have spent 15 years being called “Mom,” I sort of lost my identity in the role. When I came back and tried to make time for “me” I started with the things I thought I enjoyed. I say “thought” because I jumped in and started doing things that I liked 15 years ago. 15 years ago, I was a childless young woman. A risk taker. A social butterfly. My current self is FAR from that. 15 years ago, I did not have a bedtime. 15 years ago, I could drink several alcoholic beverages and recover nicely - THE VERY NEXT MORNING! My current self can no longer do these things and quite frankly, I don’t WANT to!
I am aging gracefully with self-compassion. There are things about myself I have yet to discover but there are certain things that I am certain about. I am focused on staying present in the moment. This current moment, I want to explore me. The me of TODAY. Not yesterday or future me. Just the right now “me.” The me that is writing this with a messy bun, leggings, and compression socks that say, “If you can read this, bring me a taco.” I am embracing my authentic self. I am no longer sugar coating anything. I am a hot mess on most days, and I am learning to enjoy the journey. Self-care is something that has allowed me to learn to love myself. The good and the not so good.
One of the newest activities that I am experimenting with is called morning pages. The activity comes from the book The Artist Way by Julia Cameron. It is journaling in the early morning. But it is not your typical journaling activity. The concept is simple, you free associate and write 3 full pages every morning. You write whatever is on your mind. The activity calls for you to not overthink it. Truly write whatever you feel. That could be a full page of saying, “I have no idea what to write.” Basically, it is a way to dump all of your thoughts down in the morning so you can free up your mental space. The activity is to help you explore your creativity, but it also has helped me calm my mind. Some days I write a 3-page saga of my endless to do list. But other days I find myself having some deep reflection on those pages. It has become a wonderful conversation with my SELF. This activity has been nothing short of empowering! I have begun to move all around my house and write in different corners of my home. It has allowed me to appreciate my space and reflect on so many things. I find myself waking up early and looking forward to it. It has helped nourish my soul and really appreciate so many things. Simply put- It makes me feel good! And feeling good is so powerful!
If you are interested in trying this out for yourself, I highly recommend it. The book is a delightful read! But if you are like me and you want to jump right in- go for it! The rules are as follows:
1) Write in the morning. Yes, it is hard to do in the beginning. But writing in the morning allows your brain to get out all the thoughts that sometimes cloud our mind. You will start your day refreshed.
2) 3 FULL pages. Don’t cheat yourself. Write until those pages are full.
3) Don’t overthink it! You are not writing a novel or blog post. No one should read this…..not even you! Don’t try to sound good or interesting. Just dump all the thoughts from your brain into the pages. If you get stuck just keep writing something.
4) Commit to doing it everyday. This one is the hardest for me! I find that I have an easier time during the week because my schedule is very structured. But on the weekends, life is chaotic, and I have struggled to get it done.
5) Focus on progress, not perfection. Just keep going. I have missed some days. I only finished 2 pages one day because I got an early morning phone call. One day I did it in the evening. Just keep going. Start fresh everyday and try again. Stick to the rules as much as possible until it becomes a habit.
