Check In at Check-Out

Turns Out, Mindfulness Works Just Fine by the Candy Bars

There can be something oddly spiritual about the checkout line at the grocery.

You’re standing there, holding a bag of baby carrots, debating whether your freezer can handle one more cauliflower pizza. Your phone’s buzzing in your pocket. The toddler in front of you is going full octopus on the candy bars.

And then—you notice.

You’re not in your head.

You’re in your life.

Not scrolling. Not multitasking. Just breathing. Watching the light catch on a stranger’s earring. Noticing your shoulders finally, finally drop. One moment of being awake and aware—in the middle of canned soup and chaos.

That, right there, is informal mindfulness.

And according to a new randomized controlled trial, that kind of everyday, in-the-moment noticing—what I call micropractice—isn’t just poetic.

It’s powerful.

What the Science Says

Let’s be precise here: this is a preprint. That means the data is not yet peer-reviewed—the science world’s version of a second opinion, where other experts double-check the work. But it’s new, it’s promising, and it’s raising some smart eyebrows.

Now, here’s what makes this study stand out:

Researchers enrolled 686 adults with mild to moderate depression or anxiety—none of whom were currently in therapy, recently using psychiatric medication, or had any prior experience with mindfulness.

Then they randomly assigned them to one of four groups:

1. Traditional mindfulness (think: guided seated meditations)

2. Informal mindfulness (aka micropractices integrating mindfulness into daily tasks like brushing your teeth or walking).

3. Psychoeducation (learning about mindfulness without practicing it)

4. Waitlist (no intervention)

After Just 21 Days:

Compared to just learning about mindfulness—or doing nothing at all—both tradtional and informal mindfulness led to:

• Less depression

• Less anxiety

• Better emotional regulation

• More positive emotion

• Fewer interpersonal struggles

But here’s where it gets interesting.

Micropractice—the informal kind—didn’t just keep up.

It held its own.

Compared to formal mindfulness, it:

• Matched or exceeded outcomes across nearly every domain

• Scored numerically higher on improvements in overall mindfulness (yes, the core skill these practices aim to build).

• Was rated just as satisfying—but participants practicing informally often shared something more: that it slipped naturally into their lives—like a way of being, not a task to schedule. In fact, many in the micropractice group ended up doing more than asked—not because they had to, but because it fit.

Let’s be clear:

These higher scores weren’t statistically significant.

They could’ve happened by chance.

But they didn’t go in the other direction.

Micropractice wasn’t worse. Not even close.

And in a world where time is tight and attention even tighter, that counts for something.

The only place where traditional mindfulness pulled ahead? Anxiety symptoms. There, it had a statistically significant edge.

But for everything else?
Micropractice delivered.

And at the three-month follow-up? The benefits held. Both traditional and informal mindfulness groups maintained their improvements.

Let that land for a second.

No cushion. No app. No timer.

Just brushing your teeth. Or standing in line. Or listening. Or breathing.

And noticing.

Not every method needs to be loud to be life-changing.

Sometimes the quiet ones do just fine.

Not a Hack. A Habit of Awareness.

I’m not here to sell you a shortcut to inner peace. (This is a free newsletter, after all.)

This isn’t about replacing longer practices if they work for you. And it’s definitely not about pretending that a single mindful sip of tea will undo years of burnout.

But it is about honoring the power of what’s already here.

Because sometimes, the thing that shifts us is the thing we almost missed.

The hum of the kettle.

The feel of the steering wheel under your hands.

The exact way your partner says “hey” when you walk in the door.

This is not a detour from real mindfulness.

This is real mindfulness.
Just lived.

To the Skeptics:

Maybe you’ve tried mindfulness and found it boring, frustrating, or—let’s be honest—kinda smug.

Or maybe you like the idea, but the execution feels… hard to execute. Sit still for 30 minutes? Before coffee?

Fair. Totally fair.

Here’s the shift: this study wasn’t about adding more to your plate. It was about using what’s already on it.

You were already going to do the dishes.
Already going to take that walk.
Already going to sit in that Zoom waiting room with your camera off.

This research—backed by study after study—says: you don’t necessarily need to change the task.
Just the quality of attention you bring to it.

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Micropractice #3: Checking in at Check-Out

The next time you’re at the grocery store, waiting in line to check out—check in:

• Feel your feet.

• Loosen your jaw.

• Notice one thing in your environment that might otherwise escape you.

The softness of someone’s sweater.
The way light glints off a can of black beans.
The small, tired kindness in the cashier’s voice.

Let it land.

Even for a moment.

Then, optionally, take one full, gentle breath.

That’s it.

You can do this in line, at a red light, on hold—anytime, anywhere.

It’s not magic.

It’s mindfulness.

The informal kind. The kind that doesn’t interrupt your life—it rides shotgun in it.

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If this resonated, send it to someone who you think would appreciate a check in.

And if you try the practice, I’d love to hear what you noticed. You can always reply—I read every message.

With curiosity and care,
Eli
Founder, The Micro Memo
Micropractice.com

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This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It is not a substitute for consultation with a licensed healthcare provider. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical concerns.