This Thing You Already Do Is Actually A Form Of Meditation

Is there anything better than people-watching? Whether you’re sipping a latte in a cafe or posted up on a park bench, it’s fascinating to notice strangers as they go about their daily lives. You might see a gaggle of friends telling a story, an old woman walking a dog that looks exactly like her, or a guy on rollerblades who’s clearly living his best life.

It’s easy to people-watch for an hour or more without even realizing the passage of time, and that’s why many say it’s the perfect form of meditation. On TikTok, creators are hanging out in public spaces just to look around and feel grounded, and it’s the perfect reminder that literally anything can be a meditation — walking, making your bed, and, well, staring.

Creator @bmjdesign lingered outside with nothing but a journal and a sense of curiosity for what was going on around her, while @xiuling.liu hung out in a restaurant and took notice of fellow patrons. “The way we are doing it is to simply just watch people,” she said in a clip. “The key is to watch without any judgment, and to just kind of notice what’s here right now.”

People-watching is something you can decide to do in the moment or a grounding experience you seek out on purpose, like @swayaura_, who likes to sit somewhere nice and watch the world go by. “It’s relaxing and inspiring to me,” she said in a video. Here’s what to know about this trend.

People-Watching As A Meditation

According to Dr. Stephanie Steele-Wren, a licensed psychologist, it makes sense that many are starting to see people-watching as a form of meditation. Not only is it natural to be curious about your surroundings, but it’s also very calming to see other people go about their day.

“People-watching is meditation with your eyes open,” she tells Bustle. “You aren’t giving yourself any expectations — just watching the world do its thing.” It’s also similar to guided visualization exercises, she says, where you shift your mind from active thinking to a more passive way of thinking to exist in the real flow of life.

If you’ve always wanted to meditate, but can’t get down with lotus pose and ocean wave soundtracks, people-watching could be the best way for you to ground yourself on a more regular basis. “[A lot of people] equate meditation with sitting on the floor in silence for a few hours, like Buddhist monks do,” Steele-Wren says. “But that’s just one form of meditation.”

By finding other ways to engage with mindfulness — like watching bikers, joggers, and picnickers in the park — you get the same level of calmness and awareness, all without making meditation feel like a chore. “A lot of folks struggle with ‘clearing their minds fully,’ as a lot of traditional meditation asks us to do,” she says. Since people-watching can be fun and engaging, it’s the perfect alternative.

People-Watching 101

Whether you’re a lifelong people-watcher or someone who wants to try it for the first time as a meditation, there are a few ways to turn this chill activity into a truly grounding experience. Steele-Wren recommends finding a comfy spot to sit in public, like an outdoor cafe, bookshop window, park bench, or the bar at a restaurant.

Once you settle in, put your phone away and simply observe your surroundings. Notice details, like what someone’s wearing or how they gesture when they talk. Allow yourself to watch without forming any judgements. Instead of critiquing or coming up with stories in your head, just notice a thought or observation as it floats into your mind — the same way you would during a traditional meditation.

If you do have a complicated thought or find yourself creating a story in your head, that’s OK, too. Steele-Wren says there’s no right or wrong way to meditate. This is simply about being in the moment and feeling relaxed.

If you need some guidance, it’s OK to come up with a little game, like counting how many people you see in blue outfits or how many folks walk by with a dog. This is also the perfect moment to feel close to your community. Unlike being online, which is full of curated posts, people-watching is all about appreciating what’s real. “Such rawness can feel liberating and deeply connecting,” says Steele-Wren, and that will have a calming effect of its own.

As you people-watch, take note of how you feel. Do you feel grounded? Present? On edge? Curious? Take it all in as info. It’s something you can do whenever you’re in public — no relaxing soundtrack required. Try it on your lunch break as a way to chill during work or go out on purpose on a Saturday morning to sip a tea and watch the world go by.

“It’s also perfect for those moments when you’re stuck in your own head and can’t get out,” she says. “Instead of forcing yourself to ‘clear your mind,’ you let the world around you do the work. And you just sit back and observe.”

Source:

Dr. Stephanie Steele-Wren, licensed psychologist