How can I stop judging my breath during meditation when my mind wanders?

[MichaelHW]

I’ve been trying to use my breath as an anchor when my thoughts race, but I keep getting caught up in judging whether I’m doing it right. The moment I notice my mind has wandered, a wave of frustration comes over me and it feels like I’ve failed the practice. Has anyone else struggled with this kind of self-criticism during meditation?

[George87]

I get that. I tried using the breath as an anchor too and kept judging myself whenever thoughts wandered. The moment I noticed a lapse a wave of frustration came up and it felt like I failed the practice.

[Ella.W]

Sometimes I tell myself wandering is just the mind doing its job. I try to treat the lapse as data instead of a verdict and I notice the feeling pass a bit quicker when I name it as a signal.

[EllaYJ]

Last week I tried setting a tiny timer and kept returning to the anchor for 20 seconds at a time. It still bugged me but the pause grew longer and the judgment came less often, until it did not dominate the sessions.

[EthanPT]

Is the real issue the judging voice or is wandering itself the point of the practice?