What if there was a way you could clear your mind, strengthen your ability to show up, and also push back on your smartphone social media dopamine-hit-addicting doomscrolling?

There's a way that's working for me, and it might work for you, too.

It's called Morning Pages. It's a writing practice launched by Julia Cameron in her book, "The Artist's Way." https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/

Morning pages are a stream-of-consciousness writing practice meant to clear the mind and get it ready to do real writing work. Or get ready for whatever your work is. It's throwaway writing, like sweeping your mind of the night's detritus.

And it's just 3 longhand pages a day, every morning. Write anything and everything that comes to your mind. Your dreams, your worries, your fears, and even silly, useless thoughts. Just get them out of your head and onto paper.

Sometimes a good idea pops up in your morning writing routine. You'd be surprised. Copy it over to another notebook or to your digital notes.

"There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages—they are not high art. They are not even 'writing.'” —Julia Cameron

Added bonus: If you sit down to Morning Pages first thing every day, then you're training yourself not to pick up your phone. That's less doomscrolling social media, checking email, scanning Slack channels, and the million other little time wasters that give us that morning dopamine hit we are all hooked on. Doing Morning Pages weans you from your morning phone addiction.

How to Do Morning Pages

1. Buy a fat, cheap composition notebook. The cheaper the better. You're not actually going to keep this notebook—You'll toss it, shred it, burn it when it's full.

2. Get some pens or pencils

3. Find a morning writing spot and put your notebook and pen there.

4. At night, hide your phone away or turn it off. Keep it out of your writing spot.

5. First thing in the morning (with a stop for coffee), sit down and start writing without thinking. Just keep your pen moving.

6. Stop when you hit 3 pages. Some days, my flow stops at 1 or 2 pages. That's OK.

7. Repeat every day for a few weeks.

8. Start enjoying a calmer mind and a cooler relationship to your phone