“Mindfulness” has become a real buzz word in personal growth, self-care and psychology circles.
But what is mindfulness? It is all about being present – using all of our physical senses to be fully present with what is occurring for us at that precise moment.
While it’s certainly not a cure-all, practising mindfulness in our daily lives means that we would be less likely to:
- fret or worry about the future
- dwell too much on the past, particularly our mistakes.
“Flow” may seem the opposite – it’s another state of consciousness, which is where we are intensely focused and immersed in what we are doing.
Have you ever lost track of time as you were engrossed in a process such as cooking, writing, playing an instrument, or similar? You were in a state of flow, where instead of concentrating on external stimuli as in mindfulness, you did the opposite – blocked them out.
Both are valuable psychological states which may operate in tandem, with potential benefits for the individual.
When Mindfulness and Flow Combine
According to Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, when the flow of life and experience seamlessly unfold from moment to moment, it leads to:
- The merging of action and awareness;
- Loss of reflective self-consciousness (that little voice in your head!);
- Experience of the activity as intrinsically rewarding – the end goal is just an excuse for the process.
Contact us to make an appointment with a psychology or counselling professional, if you would like to learn more and discover the benefits on mindfulness and flow for yourself.
Author: M1 Psychology
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References:
- Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). The concept of flow. In Snyder, C. R., & Lopez, S. J. (Ed.). Oxford handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press, USA. 89-105.