Why I Write Three Pages Every Morning (Even When My Hand Hurts)

How do you start your day? Do you jump out of bed or need a few extra minutes? I wake up with zest... much to the annoyance of the night owls in my home. Sometimes I even get up before the alarm, ready to pop up and start my day. 

Before I do anything my dogs need to go out, immediately after I start my morning pages. I sit on my recliner with my heating pad turned up (it is still chilly here ) and start writing. I always knew I would like journaling but never put aside the time to do it.  That changed when several friends and I started reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

The book is a great way to help you unleash your creativity. One of the first things it suggests is writing daily morning pages. I jumped in, here was my excuse to journal. When I first started I didn't realize there was a proper way and I wasn't following it. I would open my laptop use the Journal app and write. I loved it, I wrote on specific prompted subjects. Then I reread part of the book and realized that an electronic journal was not the correct way. Good ole pen and paper with no prompts was the way. 

Before we get ahead of ourselves, there were things about the electronic journal that I liked, mostly privacy and I would stop to think about what I wanted to say. After rereading the book, I realized morning pages were meant to be handwritten, no structure, no prompts, just a pure, unfiltered mind dump. I do other writing on my laptop, such as when I write a blog or more private pondering.

But, how does a mind dump work? It is simple, whatever you are thinking you write on the page, even if you are not thinking anything. You write with no breaks, no overthinking. Even if you don’t know what to say, you write anyway, letting a stream of consciousness spill onto the page. Initially your hand will probably hurt because you are not used to writing for that long. It sounds silly but writing three pages is tiring.

When I started writing three pages the long way, I realized I needed to find time, I already had busy mornings and a full routine so to fit in journaling I needed to wake up earlier. I set my alarm 25 minutes earlier allowing me time to let the dogs out, journal, and keep the rest of my morning rituals intact. You can pick anytime that works best for you.

Benefits of Morning Pages:

✅ Organization – Writing helps me organize my day. Thoughts that once stayed dormant come to life, often prompting action.
✅ Intentionality – I choose my words carefully, knowing my journal isn’t locked away. It’s a space for creativity, not negativity.
✅ Stress Reduction – As my thoughts spill onto the page, so does my stress. The act of writing is a release.
✅ Productivity – Since starting morning pages, I’ve felt more productive, focused, and intentional with my time.

Organization:

When I started journaling my expectations were not high. At first my hand hurt, writing three pages longhand hurts at first. But despite that I started to realize its value. Writing organizes my day. Somewhere in my gibberish are dormant thoughts, once I give them a voice action comes to life. I sit in my recliner and write what I am thinking. The words tumble out. Somehow that free flow of writing makes order out of chaos. Writing first thing in the morning starts me thinking about my day and what I want to accomplish.

Sometimes I start with a specific thought, maybe something that is bothering me, or a worry that I have set aside. I will start writing knowing I have time and space for my full thoughts come alive, they can be developed and cared for on the page. 

Intentionality:

I have learned however, not everything should be put in my journal. I do not have a lock on it and although my musings may not interest anyone in my house, I do live with four other humans, and one of those humans may be curious about my daily writings. To safeguard my rambles I do not write mean spirited things. This is because I do not lock it or hide it away. The intention is for creativity it is not intended to offend others.  Because this journal isn't meant for grievances, my morning musings stay mostly positive and forward-thinking. I like this as it suits my temperament and the way I intend to be.

Stress Reduction:

Another benefit, besides clearing my mind, is that writing helps me release stress. As the words flow so does my stress. Sometimes writing down something that is nagging at me, helps me let it go. For instance, last week I was shopping and stepped out into the aisle a couple feet in front of a gentleman. I said excuse me, and he let me know that I had made a bad first impression and that he is the nicest guy I could meet. I was extremely confused by this encounter as I have said excuse me thousands of times in similar circumstances. Writing, helped me see that we had either had a miscommunication or misunderstanding, either one is not a reason to change any of my actions, sometimes you just need to move on.

Writing about moments like these allows me to acknowledge them, give them a brief voice, and then let them go.

Productivity:

I feel like since I have started writing morning pages, I have become more productive, organized, intentional. There are so many mornings when I am writing something that triggers some action I need to take later in the day. As soon as I am finished with my morning pages I will add that to my daily planner and off I go.

What are the things you do to help with productivity? How do you start your day? Are there things you have written that started as a ramble and ended up as a passion?

Final Thoughts:

I am human, and that means there are days that I have struggled writing, I started in the beginning of the year. I think since then (it is March as I write this) I have missed two or three days. I have been upset with myself when this happens because although it is a new habit it gives me solace in a way that I never could imagine. Give yourself grace if you miss a day. Life happens, and what matters is consistency over time, not perfection. If writing three pages is important to you, trust that the habit will grow, and forgive yourself on the harder days.

Do you journal? What have you learned about yourself through writing? love to hear what works for you!