In the busyness of daily life, your mind can become an unwitting judge, evaluating everything that crosses its path, an experience, situation, thought, or feeling.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with judging. It’s the nature of the mind to do it to keep you safe from danger in order to survive. For instance, you evaluate a building on fire as dangerous and get out before the building collapses. Judgments can also be helpful in non-dangerous situations. For example, you judge a dish on the menu at your favorite restaurant as “sounds good,” so you order it to eat.
Embracing the concept of non-judgment in mindfulness training offers a powerful approach to noticing your mind judging and getting less caught up in the consequences of unchecked judgments. In this blog post, you’ll explore the mind as a judging machine, what non-judgment means, why non-judgment matters, and mindfulness training.
The Judging Machine
The mind is remarkably good at making judgments. From waking up to sleeping, it acts as a judging machine, filtering and categorizing things and then figuring out ways to respond. For instance, some things you consider good, and you want more of them, so you chase the good. Other things you judge as bad, so you avoid, hide, or run away. Judging becomes something you seem to do automatically, and those judgments can shape how you respond to the world within and outside of you.
When judgments go unchecked, they can lead to a cycle of painful thinking and feeling. Constantly evaluating things as good or bad creates a mental burden that can contribute to stress, anxiety, and a general sense of dissatisfaction. The mind’s tendency to label everything sets the stage for a biased, limited, and distorted view of reality, obstructing your ability to fully engage with the present moment.
A Definition of Non-Judgment
Jon Kabat-Zinn, a pioneer in mindfulness training, defines non-judgment as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally (2013). Non-judgment involves observing thoughts and feelings without assigning a value to them. It’s about cultivating a “neutral awareness,” free from the habitual tendency to label them like good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, like or dislike, or safe or dangerous.
Why Non-Judgment Matters
Observing thinking and feeling as processes, things you do on an ongoing basis, and the products they produce, thoughts and feelings, without assigning values to them, can lead to:
- Reduced stress and anxiety: By letting go of constantly judging, you can alleviate this mental burden that contributes to stress and anxiety.
- Improved Emotional Responding: Non-judgment allows you to respond to thoughts and feelings more skillfully, fostering emotional intelligence and resilience, getting caught up less in unchecked automatic judgments.
- Enhanced Self-Awareness: By observing thoughts and feelings without judging them, you better understand your patterns of thinking, feeling, and reactions.
- Deeper Connection to the Present Moment: Non-judgment opens the door to a richer experience with the present, as you let go of preconceived notions and engage with life as it unfolds.
Practicing Non-Judgment in Mindfulness Training
Mindfulness meditation facilitates the practice of non-judgment, cultivating a neutral awareness of your thoughts and feelings:
- Notice when a judgment shows up.
- Observe whether you’re thinking or feeling and what thoughts or feelings show up with that judgment.
- Recognize the thoughts or feelings without denouncing or clinging to them, staying present to whatever you’re experiencing.
- Bring your attention back to the present moment, perhaps breathing, feeling the air pass in and out of your nostrils as you breathe through your nose.
With consistent mindfulness practice, non-judgment becomes a natural way of approaching life, getting caught up less in thoughts and feelings and responding to them with needless defenses. Besides the mindfulness exercises available on our website, here are a few simple mindfulness practices you may do to develop non-judgment:
- Mindful Breathing: Take a few minutes daily to focus on your breathing. When thoughts arise, acknowledge them without judging them and gently redirect your attention to breathing.
- Body Scan Meditation: Pay attention to different body parts, noticing any sensations without labeling them as good or bad. This practice promotes a non-judgmental awareness of your physical experience.
- Mindful Observation: Pick a daily activity, such as eating or walking, and intentionally engage in it without judging. Notice any sights, sounds, and sensations without evaluating them.
Conclusion
In a world focused on constant judgments, non-judgment in mindfulness offers a transformative path to inner peace. By cultivating awareness without attaching labels, we free ourselves from the restraints of habitual thinking, opening up new possibilities for well-being and fulfillment.
References
- Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. New York, NY: Bantam Books.