Mindfulness, Thoughtfulness and Flow

 Mindfulness is a state of mind in which one is focused on the present. There is no worry about the future or review of the past. One can be mindful while performing a relatively mundane task. Washing dishes, having a bath, brushing one's teeth. The key is neither being in a hurry nor being deliberately slow. Paying attention to what one is doing and not thinking about anything else. Experts in meditation have developed methods to get you into a state of mindfulness but most people can find the state of mind at least sometimes.

Thoughtfulness is another state of mind, similar to, but not identical to mindfulness. It differs from mindfulness in not necessarily being associated with an action. For instance, one can be thoughtful while sitting in a comfortable chair as well as while driving a vehicle along a familiar route or walking along a familiar path. The thoughts, often abstract, are not associated with strong emotion. For instance, thinking about an article I'm planning to write or merely thinking about a philosophical concept from a book I read recently.

Flow is a state similar to mindfulness but associated with the performance of a challenging and yet familiar task. For me, a complex but familiar operation like a liver transplant is often associated with a flow state. I imagine it's what Max Verstappen feels while racing or Stephen King feels while writing. A flow state, to an extent can involve more than one person. Sometimes, an entire surgical team can enter a flow state. The surgeon, the assistant, the scrub nurse, the circulator and the anesthetist are all in the same 'zone' of 'challenged but comfortable'.

The enemies of all these states are hurry and distraction.

I have known some people who perhaps have never been in any of these states. They seem always anxious, in a hurry, worried, suspicious, sad, excited or distracted.

There are some writers and indeed some composers whose works can instantly induce a state of mindfulness. I find Murakami or Liu Cixin's writing or the music of Bach or Mozart instantly induces mindfulness in the absence of distractions.