Designing mixed reality technologies for informal mindfulness

Abstract

Mindfulness technologies in HCI have largely focused on formal practices such as meditation, which require dedicated time and are difficult to sustain in everyday life. Informal mindfulness—embedding present-moment awareness within routine activities—offers a more accessible alternative but remains underexplored. Mindful dishwashing is a prominent and well-studied example of informal mindfulness, making it a compelling testbed for design. This work investigates how mixed reality (MR) can support informal mindfulness in everyday contexts.

We present a mixed reality system for mindful dishwashing that combines real-world interaction with virtual augmentation and embeds guidance through subtle, non-verbal cues. A mixed-methods within-subjects study (N=24) compares MR to a conventional approach. While quantitative results show comparable improvements in state mindfulness, qualitative findings surface key design tensions—structure vs. agency, immersion vs. task focus, and engagement vs. cognitive load. We distill these into design implications for mindfulness technologies that scaffold attention while preserving the self-directed nature of practice.