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Monday, March 16, 2015

Seven Reasons to Write in the Morning

Oasis Feature ~ Seven Reasons to Write in the Morning


 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Do you ever wonder how to develop your creativity so that your writing ideas are fresh and inspired? I am sure that the key to unlocking new ideas is to foster an ongoing relationship with your creative self. You can develop this ability. Decide to be dedicated to your own projects and make them a priority in your life. If your time is constantly compromised because of work demands, family duties and social commitments, be warned. You have to choose to develop contact with yourself first over being on call for everyone else. If you are a people pleaser making this decision is a lot harder than it seems. It forces you to reexamine how your life is organized and insists that you commit to fitting in alone time which is devoted to writing.

As a morning writer, you have to have the same dedication as the surfer in the above photograph. Waking up early, he walks to the water, carries his surfboard and enters the chilly ocean long before an ordinary swimmer feels the need to take a plunge. Every morning, you must write a few pages about anything. It does not matter if you write about nonsense because the initial point is to develop the habit of writing. Over time, your writing content will change. Many writing coaches suggest that it is important to write in the morning; however, over the years of my own writing practice, I know that it provides the perfect way to develop your insight and creativity. When you wake up and write, you gain these and many other benefits.

Seven Reasons to Wake Up and Start Writing


1. Remembering your dreams: When you start a morning writing practice, you are able to remember your dreams better. At first you will likely remember only dream fragments, but later you begin to discover that the more you record, the more you also remember your dreams. Dreams provide you with clues about your life and make visible the creative force of the unconscious.

2. Understanding yourself better: Writing over time allows you to realize who you are and identifies your values. As a consequence,  it becomes easier to say no or yes to people without feeling pressured or compromised.

3. Clarifying your intentions: Through the process of writing, you may write about why you made certain life decisions. These written explorations help to strengthen your resolve because you remember how you arrived at these decisions.

4. Discovering hidden motivations: Nothing reveals dishonesty as much as writing a long rationalization about how and why you are right. In fact, the real reasons behind a particular action become clear as you see your words on the page. 

5. Knowing what is bothering you:  It is so much easier to know the truth about your feelings if you write down some of the disturbing mental noise that bothers you upon waking. Without writing, these worries often accompany you during the day. Often just writing about anxiety lessens it or may even take it away.

6. Improving your life: A regular morning writing practice provides you with a sturdy framework that helps to build self trust and confidence.  It enlivens your day with zest and lends purpose to the years.

7. Making ideas real: Dreams and ambitions identify what you desire but writing about them helps you to become proactive. Through regular writing, you are able to move forward and accomplish these life goals.

Finally, I suggest that you extend your morning practice into your day by carrying a notebook and pen with you everywhere. I do not recommend that you use an electronic device because the temptation is too great. You will take out your smartphone to make a note; for example, and before you realize it, you are surfing the net, socializing on Facebook or reading Email. With paper and pen handy, when you have a few spare moments, you can continue writing and exploring the ever-enriching conversation with your creative self. 

Happy writing!

40 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. I have been enjoying writing in my journal daily for the past weeks but I never write in the mornings... I guess I'm always in such a hurry that I never separate time for myself. Nonetheless I think the idea of giving yourself a few minutes after you wake up to just write down any worries of your day or pretty much anything that is on your mind can help you start the day with more determination and confidence. I think the process of getting to know yourself through writing is an honest way of discovering the real you, even those dark hidden areas that you might usually avoid when talking to yourself. Also, I love the fact that I can start remembering my dreams through this practice! Can't wait to start writing in the mornings!

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  3. For me writing in the mornings gives me the opportunity to began my day with my mind clearly. I think that evertime we spend sharing time with ourself its a great time to now you more. One of the things writing help me is in the #4 Discover hidden motivations, since the day I began to write I discover so many things that I want to do in a future.

    Yaileen Caba

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  4. I normally chose to write in my journal at night time because I can sort of reflect on my day and get down on paper all that I felt or experienced. Also, it's the time I get to relax and kind of gather my thoughts in a way. Even though I haven't had the chance to write in the mornings, I have noticed that this free writing really does help me know what is bothering me, like you said! But you've really motivated me to try writing in the mornings over the next week, especially when you mentioned remembering my dreams! We'll see how it goes! :)

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  5. I find many of these ideas very interesting. I feel a little more motivated to write in the mornings after reading this, though waking up earlier than normal isn't really something I look forward to; sleeping is something I enjoy way too much. The idea that intrigued me the most was the very first one: writing in the mornings to remember your dreams. I have always been fascinated with dreams (lucid dreaming, in particular) and I had heard that writing about them as soon as you wake up is good for developing the skill needed to remember them.

    On the other hand, I enjoy writing at night because I can use what I did or what happened to me throughout the day as a starting point for my writing. From there, I find it easier to delve into feelings and thoughts I would otherwise ignore. Also, as a student by day, it's easier to write when I don't have the pressure of being late for class. Both methods have their advantages, so perhaps it's a good idea to vary the time of the day you choose to write every now and then.

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  6. I usually write in my journal at night, because I’m not a morning person. I like to write at night, because I can go over how was my day. Point number one of the seven reasons to write in the morning makes me want to start doing it, because I usually can’t remember my dreams. I know that I had a dream, but don’t remember the details as the day passes by, maybe if I write as soon as I wake up I will start to remember my dreams. This will be very good, because I like to share my dreams with others, when I remember them.

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  7. Completely agree that writing in the morning is a great way to get to know oneself. I try to write in the journal we are keeping in the mornings, but because of work and university, I hardly can. Before the class assignment I actually used to keep a dream journal and thought to use this one as that as well but it turned into a place where I let myself go as you stated and has really helped me discover new parts and desires I have not only academically and socially but also as a person. Writing without a doubt is both therapeutic and helps with introspection.

    Marilú Crespo Albors

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  8. Seven Quick Responses to “Seven Reasons to Wake Up and Start Writing”

    1. I once thought of writing a dream journal, for example, but I noticed that when I started, I could no longer remember any dream. It was like the dreams refused to be recorded. Not my fault, the dream's fault...

    2. Most people self-narrate, as in they consciously or subconsciously talk with themselves to evaluate different aspects of their lives. I host talk shows, conferences, and interrogations with me, myself, and the many people/personalities that compose me. We all know me better than we do individually and honestly, I wouldn't want to let Crazy start talking with a journal. Writer already does that and it's annoying enough.

    3. Again, something I do with my multiple personalities. My intentions and decisions are usually pored over by Analyst and Interrogator trying to figure out the why’s, how’s, and what’s in my life choices. He usually thinks too much and uses up a lot of brain power, which is why I sometimes doze off in thought.

    4. This is the Liar’s job. I try to keep him on a leash and use him to know when I’m being dishonest with myself or others. He doesn’t like competition.

    5. My only anxiety in the morning is waking up my brother…

    6. I write in my journal in the morning before work, but not as soon as I wake up. As I said earlier, Writer is the guy in my repertoire who speaks with the journal, but he and the journal don’t seem to get along. Writer says that the journal is mean because it never gives him any feedback, even after all these years, but I just think he’s overreacting. I’ve been with the journal a couple of times and it always graciously accepts what I type/write.

    7. This last one is true and false for me. Sometimes, writing brings me forward to some goals and sometimes it sends me back, though it mostly pushes me forward.

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  10. I agree with all of them but the ones that I can’t get out of my mind are the #2, #5 and #7. It’s so true! I usually write in my journal about plans and ideas that at the moment I wouldn’t do but in the future I want to do. Also, I love to express myself through writing so when something bother me I need to write it to feel like I’m telling to someone because sometimes is more easy to tell a paper than to a friend. Since I learned to write I understand a little more about my personality, because sometimes you don’t know what your preferences are until you write it. I never write after I wake up but I think this reasons are plenty good to convince me to try it. I appreciate more the fact of writing a journal because, like you say, makes us the priority in our life.
    Yanitza Cruz Crespo

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  11. I enjoyed this written because I felt identified. When I started the adventure with my journal I did not like to write in the mornings. I thought writing in the evenings was more easier because I wrote everything I did on the day. Then I realized that mornings are the best part of the day to write. My mind is fresh, I do not feel tired, I can plan my ideas, feelings and my days. At night I felt sleepy, I was bored and was crazy to spend the ten minutes. Now I enjoy writing in my journal and I feel it's part of my organization. The next time I will implement the reasons # 1 and # 7 because I have trouble to remembering my dreams and I would like to analyze them. To the crazy ideas coming good ideas ... It's time to think and write about them.

    Erica Colón Ortega

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  12. Yes, I agree! Writing in the morning is promising and helps you to clarify your mind and gets you ready to start the day in the right way. I once started to write in the morning and it was very hard at the beginning, you know getting used to it. But once you get the habit it helps you organize your thoughts. Writing even a brief paragraph of whatever you're thinking helps.

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  13. There are some very interesting points here. What we write in the mornings turns out very different than what we end up writing at any other moment of the day. It's better to let go of whatever is bothering us early in the day because we don't carry all of that heaviness throughout the day, all those things that cloud our minds and makes us distracted, sad, mad, or irritable. Sometimes we're not willing to share things with others but we should be able to trust those things to ourselves. We should be able to write about anything that we want, and we should be able to explore many possibilities of what we end up writing. I usually write at night, and mostly it's just me talking about how my day went or how tired I am, even though sometimes I get really deep and lose myself in the process. It's really hard to organize yourself so that you have time in your morning routine to write, but I'm motivated to start writing more in the mornings, and I'm sure that it will be worth it. And one line that I found very true was: "Often just writing about anxiety lessens it or may even take it away."

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  14. I agree with you. I have to confess that I loved your writing. Personally, writing in the morning helps us clarify what we will do for the day. We also refreshes the mind and can write about our dreams at night. I write my journals in the morning with my coffee and breakfast and cold in the morning invites us to keep writing nonstop.

    I understand the reason # 2 and is what I like. With this reason we can find and we can get our true feelings and values with others. It helps to think our way of being and behaving.

    Personally, I think like you and congratulate you for the great work done in this text. I am very sure that will be very helpful for us.

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  15. I find it really interesting how mornings are described as a personal time to understand not the world around you but what is happening in your mind. I personally share some of this ideas, for me it has always been easier to write in the mornings before my day starts. It helps me to concentrate more and prevents me from being influenced by other thoughts or people. Writing as soon as I wake up lets me be more personal and think deeper about fears, concerns and my goals for the day.
    Writing during the day is something that I've done for a while, as it allows me to organize and develop the ideas later. Keeping a notebook for taking notes is a great idea, as you may find inspiration trough the day, but carrying one all day is not always possible. About electronic devices becoming a distraction, I may have to disagree, as many times they become the most accessible tool for keeping ideas from fading away. Being able not only to write down an idea but also to set a reminder for when you may need it helps me organize and setting priorities.

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  16. I personally like to do my journal entries at night because frankly its more convenient for me but also I think that it helps me unwind the day, it helps get all my thoughts that I had through out the day out on paper and helps me get organized for the next day. But I truly like ideas #3, #5 and #7 and I wouldn't be opposed to writing one or twice in the morning to see how it goes.

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  17. I can agree that writing right after I wake up helps me kick the day off with a clear mind. For the journal I'm keeping I've been able to write in the morning a few times and I find it relaxing in a way, plus, I love remembering my dreams and writing them down so I can read them later. I also have to say that writing at night also has its perks, at least for me, because it lets me have like an overview of all the things that happened and how I reacted to all of them. Though, all of your reasons are truly great! I'll try to write even more in the mornings!

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  18. Nicole M. CarrasquilloMarch 17, 2015 at 12:11 AM

    I share the same experience with the teacher , writing in the morning is the best time because, after a sleep, the brain feel relaxed , but at the same time with many thoughts to be developed during the day, it is that moment when should take the journal and download everything you feel. As for the seven reasons to write , I agree to all ,but exclude remember the dreams because there is no way to remember one of my dreams. Anyway, the writing process and vocabulary is slowly developing very effectively when writing in the mornings .

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  19. For me this goes half and half, in an ideal scenario if I didn't take classes from 7 to 6 it would be great to do this, in fact I would love this as a means to disconnect with the constant flow of numbers engineering brings in my life. The problem is the ideal scenario is never the real one, in the real one there is too much work for me to handle this added in, which is natural given the studies or profession I chose. This fact being true, I conclude that spending time to write would seem to be limited towards those who can manage to have time or go for a career that is directed with this objective in mind, which is sad but it is how the world works. One can not have two things at once, there must be an equivalent exchange...

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  20. I'm not a morning person therefore I'm not as inspired as I am during the day. I'm a type of person who prefers to write before going to sleep. I have all of this thoughts, I feel more connected and true to myself. I feel my feelings and words are more truthful than they are in the morning. I think about what I did all day, how do I feel, how can it relate to what I'm writing about, did something change or it didn't. In the morning I feel like all of those emotions and thoughts are f

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  21. Regards,
    I agree with the statement that says that we should write in the mornings because it is true that that’s the time when our minds are fresher, although mornings are usually my stress hours because of all the work I do during the day and that may not contribute so much to my mind being fresh. Also, I totally understand the part that says that we should avoid carrying an electronic device and using it as a journal because of all the distractions it can bring but I differ with it. In my case, I write really fast on my computer and cellphone and it is sometimes easier to get the thoughts out of my mind when they come on a computer than using a paper and pen.

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  22. I like writing when I wake up, but mostly on weekends when I don't need to wake up early, get dressed, go out and drive more than 1.5 hours. During the week (Monday through Friday) I like to write at night, and kind of evaluate my day, better yet if I had a disagreement with anyone. My journal is my favorite way to vent.

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  23. I agree with the idea that writing helps self discovery, but I have problems with writing early in the morning. For starters, to remember dreams, i usually just keep reciting them in my mind and if i tell people about it then like that, but writing would just make me forget faster, and to write them i would have to write as i wake up, and at that moment i barely have the mind to move a fork to my mouth, i doubt i can write letters in a way that it builds words that in their way build coherent sentences. Apart from that I think i could apply everything else, although I live a simple life, and writing something every day might be hard if i try to evade mundane things like whining about not being able to sleep more.

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  24. I believe that writng in the morning helps me to start the day better, because I tend to write plans for my day, sometimes I write about things that motivate me to be less insecure and to be more confident and this help to go through the day and I also believe its one of the the bet ways to vent and to express yourself.

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  25. I guess I've never written in the morning because I am not a morning person. Usually, I have to wake up early for my classes, so I am lethargic. These ideas might help motivate me to write in the morning. I like this for various reasons: I can write down my dreams, I can get motivated in the morning before my classes, and it might help with my songwriting.
    I have loved the journal writing experience so far. I have learned a few things about myself and about what my goals are. I hope that writing in the morning takes me even further.

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  26. I'm a people pleaser. It's not that I'm a push-over (sometimes people confuse these two concepts) because, interestingly enough, I have a very strong character, I just look out for everybody and put their needs ahead of mine. The pressure I put on myself to keep them happy as well as myself happy is increadibly strength and time consuming. This affects my writing drastically. It's increadibly difficult to find a physical time for writing, let alone a time where my mind is free, flowing, emotional, and creative. Therefore, when I best like to write is when I feel emotional and creative, but sometimes this doesn't happen daily, and, most days, I find myself obligating myself to write in between chaos and responsibility. I haven't tried writing as soon as I wake up because I always feel increadibly sleepy, but I have written a few hours later and the results have been one of the best. This, paired with a good song in the background, always make me unwind and write freely and creatively.

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  27. I think is great to write in the morning too because in the morning I have fresh ideas that I can put on my journal. In the morning I can express what I want to accomplish by the end of the day. And I think the thoughts that I have in the morning are easy to express because of the peace of the morning air that I felt.

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  28. I tried to create the habit of writing over a year ago. I can say I failed in the end. I certainly had great moments with myself and my perception, thoughts, and everything stored in the data of my brain, about life. It was a good catharsis at various moments, I won't deny that it is a good to keep a journal if you think your the type of person that would like that. I didn't write at any specific moment in the day, but I did write most days, and on weekends. As for writing in the morning, I've done a few times. The only problem is that I wake up everyday thinking I have to get to college, argue with my brother, and just going through the same tedious routine every day. Motivation to write just doesn't come along, lest I had a really good dream with any kind of teaching. Recently, I've had a few de javu's I didn't write about...

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  29. I commented early yesterday but it appears that something went wrong in the process. Anyways, I find that this post is a great way for someone who does not know how to start a journal, a great startup guide if you ask me. Personally, I find it really hard to write in the morning after I wake up. I cannot deny the fact that my mind is fresher and I remember most of my dreams, but due to time constrains I cannot really stop to write. I write in the afternoon or early in the night, just before I go to sleep. I think that this way I have more stuff to write about.

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  30. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  31. For some strange reason I actually enjoy writting in the morning because it makes me think of funnier things to write about that can potentially become a good jugular to talk about. It's also more interesting when tou write half asleep because some ideas that are crazy yet hilarious pop out & become great topics for short stories, poems & jokes. All I think about when writting conciously is when is time going to run out for me to finish but when I'm half asleep I keep going & going because I feel motivated (weird, right?!).

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  32. Fine advice, especially about bringing a notebook and pen. It's not the same typing notes on a phone. I write in the morning and the afternoon. My husband has to remind me to stop to eat.

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  33. I have written first thing in the morning, like even before brushing my teeth. It is a different experience because the writting doesn't take the daily-experience turn. Instead I write about what I had just dreamed. I remember everything clearly, even up to this day there are dreams I remember writting about. I believe this helps keeping up a good memory, so now if I studied until late night and I have time in the morning to write, I naturaly write about the last things I learned about that night.

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  34. I'm not used to write in the morning since I just wake up to do something. Everyday I wake up to get to class and keep busy until my lunch hour. I agree when you say that writing makes us realize what we want for ourselves instead of pleasing everyone before us. I think I should give it a try to take some minutes in the morning and write about my dreams, since I always seem to forget them and wish I could think more into them. Analyzing my dreams could guide me to a better connection with my inner self.

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  35. I have never tried writing in the morning. Usually whenever I write it is in the night, and I like to talk about the things that happened during the day, or a certain experience I had. Sometimes I write about my plans for the next day. I usually have a lot of things of all kinds of subjects going on in my mind, and many times when I go to write about something I have trouble to decide what to write about. Maybe writing in the morning makes things better, since my mind is more clear and I don't have a lot of stuff going on. But it will be a struggle to write in the morning. On weekdays I wake up and go to college in the morning, on weekends I usually wake up and clean or do some work at home. I shall try writing in the morning, maybe tomorrow or next week since I don't have college or work to do.

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  37. the point 7. Making ideas real , I am totally Agree with that one. every moment that cross something in mind no matter what time of the day is it , I take notes ... And begin to write about it. I let the ambition Guide me and the imagination

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  38. I completely agree with the idea of setting aside time for oneself. It's a thing that I regularly do because sometimes I just feel like I need a break from the stresses of everyday life. As for writing in the morning, it's not an appealing idea to me. I have written in the mornings but not immediately after I wake up. If I don't have immediate plans, I can sit down and write after I've fully woken up and had breakfast. But these are not most of my mornings. My normal mornings consists of me waking up in a rush to either go to class or train (I'm a cyclist) so that I can then rush to class.This makes writing in the mornings a little difficult. I prefer to write in the afternoon when most of my day's gone by and I can take a break to "digest" everything that's going on. The only benefit that I see that I could gain from writing in the mornings instead of writing in the afternoons is remembering my dreams. But the reality is that I almost never remember my dreams. The last time I remembered a dream when I woke up was about 4 or 5 months ago... But anyway, I can gain all the other benefits by writing in the afternoons as I feel more comfortable. I write so that I can get to know myself better and to learn the hidden motivations or thoughts behind my actions.

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  39. Great post, very inspiring! It takes me back to when I would journal as a child, I think it definitely improved my writing!

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