How to meditate without a routine

No time to meditate? Here’s how to practice anytime:

Xie Qiang

I have been wearing glasses since I was in junior high school due to myopia. In the winter, when I moved from the cold outdoors to a warm indoor space, my glasses would fog up, temporarily reducing my vision, which made me feel irritated and annoyed. One day, practicing a simple meditation changed my relationship with this recurring problem. Instead of resisting the fogging, I focused on a physical sensation: the sensation of heat on my forehead caused by irritation. By observing this sensation with curiosity and not trying to change it, the irritation naturally faded over time. This experience showed me that by practicing a simple and light-hearted meditation, I have the power to accept my foggy glasses.

What is informal meditation practice and why is it important?

Meditation can be broadly divided into two categories: formal and informal practice. Formal practice involves setting aside a period of time dedicated to meditation, such as sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing for 15 minutes. Informal practice, on the other hand, involves seamlessly integrating meditation into your daily activities. This could mean paying attention to the sensations in your body while walking or concentrating completely while brushing your teeth.¹

Most standardized meditation-based programs, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, emphasize formal practice as a core element.¹ Research supports the benefits of formal practice and has been shown to lead to significant improvements in mental health following meditation training.² But finding the time needed for formal practice can be difficult for many.^3,4

Informal practice, on the other hand, is more accessible and less time-consuming, allowing individuals to directly apply meditation strategies to everyday situations, such as using mindfulness techniques to manage stress. By making meditation more practical, informal practice extends its benefits to a wider audience, making it easier for more people to incorporate meditation into their lives.

Can informal practice improve mental health and wellbeing?

Research has shown a link between informal practice and improved mental health and well-being: for example, one study found that just six minutes of mindfully washing dishes significantly improved positive and negative emotions.^Five Additionally, daily informal practice has been shown to help mitigate increased stress over time.⁶

At the Healthy Minds Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a study using the Healthy Minds Program app found that during a two-week meditation training, increasing informal practice on one day was associated with lower levels of psychological distress the next day. Additionally, increased informal practice was associated with significantly reduced psychological distress and feelings of loneliness following the intervention.⁷ These findings highlight the powerful impact that simple, everyday meditation can have on our health.

How can informal practices be addressed?

Given the potential benefits of meditation, incorporating informal meditation into your daily life can be fun and transformative. Get creative and find a method that really resonates with you. Here are some examples to get you started:

• Mindful breathing: Before a stressful meeting, take a few deep, mindful breaths to calm yourself down.
• Awareness of physical sensations: Pay attention to the sensations in your body as you walk or eat, and explore them with curiosity.
• Thought Recognition: Observe your thoughts without immediately accepting them as truth.
• Gratitude and compassion: When you’re talking, consciously cultivate feelings of gratitude and compassion for the other person.
• Value Connection: Reflect on how your current activities align with your values.

Tips for supporting informal practice

Joining an informal practice is easy, but it can be difficult for beginners. Research from the Center for Healthy Minds found that busy schedules, stressful days, and low motivation are common obstacles, while support from others can make the practice easier.⁸

To overcome these challenges and maximize the benefits of informal practice, try these tips:

• A quick exercise: Start with something simple, like incorporating mindful breathing into your daily routine, such as right after you wake up.
• reminder: Set an alarm or use sticky notes as gentle reminders to practice throughout the day.
• Community Support: Connect with other meditation practitioners or discuss your experiences with your mental health provider for encouragement and accountability.
• Active Practice: While you brush your teeth, try some active meditation using the Healthy Minds Program app.
• motivation: Choose a practice that really resonates with you to increase your motivation and commitment.

Incorporating informal practices into our daily routines provides a way for us to tap into the transformative benefits of meditation. Incorporating mindfulness, kindness, compassion, and a deeper connection to our values ​​into our daily activities helps us move through life’s challenges with greater ease and flexibility. These simple yet powerful habits enable us to cultivate a more intentional life and transform everyday moments into opportunities for growth, connection, and presence.

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