Mindfulness Without Meditation: 12 Ways to Practice With Your Eyes Open
You can practice mindfulness without meditation. You do it by noticing small things during your normal day, with your eyes open and nothing to set up.
This is often called informal mindfulness. There is no cushion, no timer and no special room. If you tried meditation and drifted away, that does not mean mindfulness is not for you. It may mean the sitting part was the wrong fit.
What is mindfulness without meditation?
Jon Kabat-Zinn, who built the mindfulness-based stress reduction program at the University of Massachusetts, describes mindfulness as paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, without judging. Nothing in that description says you must close your eyes or sit still for twenty minutes.
Formal meditation is one way to train that attention. Informal practice is another. You pick an ordinary moment and pay attention to it on purpose. A kettle boiling counts. So does a red light.
Attention also drifts a lot. In a 2010 study in Science, Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert at Harvard sampled people’s thoughts through their day. Minds were wandering about 47 percent of the time. So you are not broken if yours wanders. Most minds do.
The ways below are small on purpose. Each one takes a few seconds, fits inside something you already do, and asks only that you notice.
12 ways to practice mindfulness with your eyes open
Start the day
1. Feel your feet. When you get out of bed, notice the floor under your feet. Is it cold, soft, rough? Notice it once, then carry on. Do this every morning at the same moment so it becomes a habit.
2. Taste the first sip. Pick the first coffee or tea of the day. For the first three sips, notice the heat, the taste and the smell. After that, drink it however you like.
3. Hear three sounds. While the kettle boils or the shower warms up, stop and name three sounds you can hear. A fridge hum counts. A car outside counts.
Move through the day
4. Catch the autopilot. Most of us arrive places with no memory of the trip. The practice Catch the Autopilot puts it simply: “Catch yourself running on autopilot: mid-scroll, mid-commute, mid-chew.” The moment you catch it is the win. You do not need to fix anything. Just notice that you were gone, and that you are back.
5. Notice the rush. Pick one thing you do fast: walking to the car, typing an email, eating lunch. Ask whether the moment needs that speed. Often it does not. Sometimes it does, and that is fine too. You are only checking.
6. Watch your hand reach. You are in the middle of a task and your hand heads for your phone. Catch it on the way. The practice The Mid-Task Reach says: “Catch your hand heading for your phone in the middle of a task.” You do not have to stop the reach. Seeing it is enough.
7. Slow down one chore. Choose washing up, folding laundry or brushing your teeth. For that one chore, feel the water, the fabric or the bristles. One chore a day is plenty.
With other people
8. Look at who is talking. In a meeting or at the breakfast table, notice when your attention slips from the person to your own thoughts. Bring it back to their face. Do this once or twice a conversation. It is more useful than it sounds.
9. Wish a stranger well. On the street or in the queue, pick one person and quietly think, “I hope your day goes well.” Do not break stride. They never need to know. It takes two seconds and tends to soften how the next few minutes feel.
Notice what is good
10. Spot what is working. Our minds are built to scan for problems. The practice Spot What’s Working points the other way: “Catch something going right while it’s still going right.” The train arrived on time. The printer worked. The kid found their shoes. Small, true and easy to miss.
Notice your own mind
11. Listen to your inner tone. Forget the words for a moment. What is the tone of the voice in your head? Is it patient, bossy, tired? Just name it. You are not trying to change it.
12. Catch the coming back. Your mind will wander. When you notice it has, that noticing is the exact skill you are building. Count that moment as a good one, because it is.
How to make these stick
Do not try all twelve tomorrow. Pick one and use it for a few days. Then pick another.
Tie each one to something you already do: the kettle, the car door, the start of a meeting. A cue you already have is easier than a reminder you have to remember.
Keep it light. If you forget for a whole day, nothing is lost. Start again at the next kettle.
Here is another way to see it. Each time you catch yourself noticing, that is one moment. A few moments scattered through a day add up, and no sitting is needed. Some studies find that brief, informal practice is linked to better day-to-day attention, though results vary from person to person. Nobody serious promises you a result on a schedule.
Where the 108 Moments app fits
108 Moments is a free iPhone app built around this idea. Each day it gives you one practice, written as a single line about something to catch yourself noticing. Each time you catch it, you count one moment, with a tap or by moving a bead on the optional necklace. The aim is eighteen moments a day. It is an aim, not a quota, and missing it is never failure.
There are 108 practices, and each goes six levels deep. Your phone stays in your pocket. You do the practice with your eyes open, in the middle of your day. Every 28 days the app asks the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, five short questions from the World Health Organization, so you can see how things feel over time. The WHO did not create or endorse the app. It is a tool you can use, nothing more.
Questions
Does mindfulness without meditation really count?
Yes. Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, and you can pay attention while walking, washing up or talking to a friend. Formal sitting is one method. Informal practice is another, and many people find it easier to keep up.
How long should I practice each day?
There is no required length. Each of the ways above takes a few seconds. What matters more is that you do a little most days. A handful of short moments scattered through your day is a fine place to start.
What if I keep forgetting to do it?
That is normal, and it happens to nearly everyone. Tie the practice to a cue you already have, such as the kettle or the car door. When you forget, just start at the next cue. Forgetting is not failing.