Finding a way to clear our minds in the morning can make the day easier to tackle.
Julia Cameron who wrote "The Artist's Way" suggests writing morning pages every day "to take a dust-buster" to the thoughts that are cluttering our mind. Her video describing the method is here.
She subscribes to the "3 pages a day" rule. Personally, I prefer writing until I'm done. Sometimes there is very little clutter in my mind (insert air head jokes here), other times it's a jumble sale in there.
Taking away rules makes it easier for me to complete the task.
She also swears by writing everything out long hand. I don't always have the wherewith-all to do that. Instead, I'll turn on the dictation tool of my computer or phone, and write via voice to text. I find that I'm still able to sift through the thoughts that need to be put into order. It feels as though I am talking out a problem with a friend.
When I've suggested this to folks in the past, they worry about these pages being found. Shred them if you want to. These are not meant to be kept for prosperity, they are absolutely disposable.
This is an opportunity for you to say all the things you "shouldn't" say during your day - a chance to be whiny, petty, grumpy, mean, arrogant. Getting the feelings and thoughts out can make space for how you want to feel instead. Let go of your inner critic and write down whatever passes through your mind. I think of it as a brain dump - a place to drop all the thoughts and emotions that are weighing me down.
My morning pages exercises let me feel grounded and centred before starting the day. I feel like I have more clarity about what is important to me and how I can get there (or at least how not to get there). A lot of the monkey chatter of trying to remember to do xyz is quieted. I can tell when I've stepped away from doing the pages because I feel flustered early in my day.
As will all the tools I share, your own mileage may vary. This may be worth a shot for a week though to see if it works for you.
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