Well Anyway
Catch yourself irritated by someone, and wish them well before the irritation has passed.
Well Anyway is one of the 108 practices in 108 Moments. It is a mindfulness practice you do with your eyes open, in the middle of an ordinary day. There is nothing to sit down for. You carry one line with you, and each time you catch the moment it describes, that counts.
How to try it today
- Read the line once in the morning: Catch yourself irritated by someone, and wish them well before the irritation has passed.
- Go about your day. When you catch it happening, that is one moment.
- Count it. Move a bead, or tap once in the app.
- Aim for eighteen moments. Fewer still counts, and a missed day is not a failure.
How to practice Well Anyway
What to look for
The slow walker in the narrow hallway. The loud chewer. The reply-all offender. The catch fires the instant you notice the flicker — that little spike of "oh, come on" — and the wish follows while the spike is still warm. The common miss is waiting for the irritation to fade first, so the wish feels sincere. Don't wait. The two can overlap; that overlap is the practice.
Why it works
Irritation and goodwill turn out to fit in the same moment, aimed at the same person — most people just never test it. Testing it changes something structural: the flicker stops being a verdict about the other person and becomes a cue, like a doorbell, that reliably announces a chance to practice. Your irritating moments don't decrease. Their job description changes. And a spike that triggers goodwill has lost most of what made it unpleasant to carry.
Where you might catch it
Behind a slow walker
The hallway is narrow and the person ahead is drifting. You feel the spike: oh, come on. That spike is the catch. Right then, while it is still hot, think 'may your day go well.' You can still be annoyed. You can still want to pass. Let the wish ride along anyway.
On the morning commute
A driver cuts into your lane with no signal. Your jaw tightens and your hands grip the wheel. Catch that tightening. Before it fades, silently wish the driver a safe trip home. Keep your eyes on the road. The wish can be short. It only has to land while the jolt is still there.
Reading a reply-all email
Your inbox fills with a reply-all thank-you sent to forty people. You feel the eye roll start. That is the moment. While the eye roll is still happening, wish the sender an easy afternoon. You do not have to like the email. You only have to pair the flicker with the wish.
At the breakfast table
Someone at the table is chewing loudly, or a child spills juice again. You notice the sharp little 'seriously' in your chest. Catch it right there. Wish them well while the feeling is still warm. It might be a plain thought, like 'hope your day goes well.' Then carry on with breakfast.
In a long meeting
A colleague repeats a point that was settled ten minutes ago. You feel the sigh building. Catch the sigh before it leaves. While you are still irritated, wish them a good rest of the day. Nobody can see it. The meeting keeps going, and the irritation and the wish share the same moment.
In the grocery line
The person ahead pays in coins and then digs for a coupon. You feel your patience snap a little. That snap is the catch. While it is still fresh, wish them an easy evening. You might still check the time. You might still shift your weight. The wish goes in anyway.
If it isn't clicking
It feels fake to wish someone well while annoyed
That fake feeling is normal. The wish does not need to feel warm to count. It only needs to show up while the irritation is still there. Say it plainly in your head, like 'hope your day goes okay.' Then move on. Waiting until it feels sincere is the most common way to miss the catch.
I only remember once I've calmed down
Then the catch has passed, and that is fine. Notice that you remembered. Next time, pick one usual trigger, like the commute or a certain group chat. Expect the flicker there. When it comes, the wish has a ready spot to land. Short, familiar triggers are the easiest places to start.
Some people seem too annoying to wish well
You do not have to approve of them. Wishing someone well is not agreeing with them or excusing anything. It can be as small as 'may you get where you are going.' If a person feels like too much, choose a smaller irritation today. The stranger with the loud phone call works fine.
Six levels deep
This page covers the first level. In the app, Well Anyway goes six levels deep, with its own line at each one. The move stays the same. Only where you point it changes.
- NoticeJust catch it. Nothing else. There is no wrong answer.
- RelateCatch it. Then notice how you took it.
- Turn TowardPoint it at the hard stuff on purpose.
- SteadyDo it on bad days too. Tired days. Busy days.
- WidenPoint it wider. Strangers. Crowds. People you avoid.
- RadiateSpot a chance to pass it on. Taking it is up to you.
Questions
How do you stop being irritated by small things?
This practice does not try to stop irritation. Small annoyances keep coming, and that is fine. The idea is to give each one a new use. When the flicker shows up, it becomes a cue to wish someone well. The irritation stays. It just has a different job.
Is it fake to wish someone well when you are annoyed with them?
It is not fake. It is honest about two things at once. You are annoyed, and you also wish them well. Most people assume those cannot happen together. Trying it shows they can. The wish does not erase the annoyance or pretend it is gone.
What should you say when wishing someone well?
Anything short and plain works. 'Hope your day goes well.' 'Safe travels.' 'May things get easier for you.' Say it silently in your head. Pick one phrase and reuse it so it comes quickly. Speed matters more than wording, because the wish should arrive while the irritation is still warm.
How long does Well Anyway take?
Each catch takes a second or two. You do not set time aside. The practice runs in the background of whatever you are already doing, and you count the moments you catch.
Is this meditation?
Not the sit-down kind. It is informal mindfulness: paying attention on purpose during ordinary moments, with your eyes open and your day still moving.
Do I need the necklace?
No. The app keeps count for you. The necklace is an optional way to keep count with your hands: eighteen beads, two strands of nine.