This two-page mindfulness worksheet offers four skillful means for working with judgments: recognize and label them for what they are, give them plenty of space, name your judging voice and learn the tone and nuances of how it speaks, and be kind, gentle and compassionate with yourself. The exercise then asks you to list your judgments, sort each as a regret or a comparison, and write without stopping for five minutes about one of each.
A note from Sean
When a judgment shows up, I try to get curious about it first. I ask why I am judging so harshly, and whether something in me could use some curiosity. I also try to tell an assessment, like “this feels unpleasant,” from a judgment, which is the harsh, condemning part that usually follows.
Try this today. Set a timer for five minutes and write without stopping about one judgment, either a regret or a comparison. When the timer ends, put a hand on your belly and take three breaths. Notice how your body feels after naming it.
Keep going: A Non-Judgment Meditation Script and James Baraz’s talk on the judging mind.
This suits anyone with a busy inner critic. Regret and comparison can hurt, so if writing about one stirs up shame or grief, go gently. Stop when you need to.
Further Reading: Free Guided Meditation Scripts
Mindfulness practice can help us quiet the mind, and it encourages us to relate to the world through our intuition and our direct senses. Guided meditations provide a framework for this honest inner exploration, and they may help insights arise naturally.
