Mindfulness is the practice of present-moment awareness without judgment. You notice thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they arise, observe them like clouds passing, and gently redirect attention. Unlike formal meditation (sitting, eyes closed), mindfulness is informal and integrated: being mindful while eating, walking, working, or in conversation. The core mechanism: when your mind wanders (it always does), you notice and return attention. This simple cycle trains your attention system. Over weeks, baseline anxiety drops, reactivity decreases, focus improves.