An introduction to mindstates
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The following article describes a framework that matches the way people think with; a need, an idea, a design or a message. It breaks down thinking into 5 mindstates, each based on how much attention and time someone has in any given moment. It has been developed over 8 years and complements existing profiling techniques.
What is this about?
We are fixated on people’s characters, attitudes and beliefs. But regardless of archetype, persona or even star sign, we all have the same ways of thinking, just in different proportions.
People like to think of someone as having a fixed personality type because it’s easier to process and more predictable. However most of us, if not all, are more fluid as we respond to any particular situation. And that is most often based on how engaged we are with something and how much time we think we have to deal with it.
What are mindstates based on?
The mindstates framework is based on attention and time. From these arise five mindstates; dreaming, planning, juggling, drifting and centring. Each mind state suits a particular situation.
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Fig 1. The Mindstates framework
Attention
Attention can either be laser focussed or diffuse. This is often based on attraction or threat, which sets interest. At either end is obsession and vagueness. Obsession is where someone cannot let go of what they are focussed on until it’s resolved. Vagueness is where someone has switched off or acts in autopilot. They can either watch themselves as if in a passenger seat or wander off into fantasy such as daydreaming. As many of you may notice this aligns with the Window of Tolerance where the extremes are the fight/flight and freeze/flop responses respectively.
In the middle is focus and awareness. These are optimal states, evidenced by the two forms for meditation in Buddhism; concentration and sensation. As Josh Korda says, they can also be described as spotlight and floodlight attention. A good example is arriving at an event. You will simultaneously get a sense of the space in terms of its energy, and vibe. Then you start to pick out people around you*. You may do this the other way around, depending on whether you know anyone, or are in a heightened state of alert.
This will also depend on what else is on your mind and to what extent you can focus or process. This is known as cognitive load, which is not so much about ability as capacity.
Timeframe
Perspective is a funny thing. We are notoriously bad at predicting how long something will take. People either underestimate how long something will take and end in an 11th-hour panic. Alternatively, they panic, with plenty of time to spare, because they can’t bear uncertainty.
Again these are the extremes. In the middle is acting and responding. Acting requires no conjecture, or planning. You just do. And then fully aware and focussed you respond. Responding is very different to reacting. It is appropriate without exaggeration.
If you look at figure 1. above, you’ll note that combining time and attention takes the Window of Tolerance and creates a Window of Opportunity. We often look at time as a resource, where we kill time, buy time, waste time. But this is really more about our inherent time bias.
What type of Mindstates are there?
Dreaming
Dreaming has long been associated with revelation since ancient times. It’s where connections are made between the day-to-day events and core values like personal beliefs or societal norms. It’s a mystery, a riddle and a feeling that connects the now, near and far. It can be great for thinking outside of the box. It is the core of sensemaking when harnessed correctly.
Planning
Planning in many ways is the art of the possible. Ok, so if this is possible, what then? It is the outline of how something could actually be and set in motion. What are the resources, processes, timeframes etc. It is where detailed strategies are laid out. It has focus and logic, but is still vulnerable to conjecture. A good plan is really a map of intent. It can seem to predict the future, like when you throw something in a bin and deep down know if it’s going to go in or not.
Juggling
If any of you have learnt to juggle or even tried, you will know that it’s really a series of operations that you learn to automate. Juggling is the ability to coordinate of a plan. You need to know what comes next and in what order. It’s not an idea, it’s real. It depends on the situation and requires practice. When mastered, it is effortless responding to each situation thrown at it.
Drifting
Drifting can be described as open to suggestion. It can have a bad name like mindlessly walking into danger or without purpose. However, it is also the state that allows you to take a situation as you find it, without expectation. It allows you to sense the room or take in the big picture, probing even, before making sense of it.
Centring
Centring is the ability to be; focussed, aware, acting, and responding. By being simultaneously focussed AND aware, it is easier to know when to act and respond. This is that people call being in the moment. It is also something related to Csikszentmihalyi’s notion of flow.
This is not to say that this is the best mindstate. Rather it is more a base from which to move into the further reaches of the other quadrants, which enable different skill sets and perspectives in the world.
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Fig 2. Mindstates framwork mapped out as notation.
How can I apply this to what I do?
The mindstates framework was initially for researchers, designers, developers and product owners for digital projects. However it could just as easily be applied to community workers, parents, friends & partners.
The beauty of the Mindstates framework is that it works with existing profiling approaches, such as, Jungian archetypes, Myers-Briggs, the Big 5, UX personas, JBTD characters, DISC, and even astrology. This is because these profiles try to predict the way we approach a task or situation. They miss how a situation can frame the way we think. Mindstates can track the way we engage with the moment-to-moment experience. Whether we are completely focussed a task or getting distracted by all the other things going on in our minds.
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Fig 3. Sketch showing how mindstates can vary moment to moment, on the same task or with many.
It can be applied to any situation, involving, people trying to do something either by themselves or together.
The advantages of the Mindstates framework are in its ability to:
- Create a shared language for the way people think,
- Index ideas, design patterns and messaging by mindstate,
- Apply content between your own and other areas eg social care, business, science and the Arts.
I’ve used it at work for:
- Profiling teachers at the Department of Education,
- A notifications framework for highlighting breakdowns at a large organisation,
- Workshop design and facilitation.
I also use it anytime when I find myself in a situation and note a particular mindstate. This gives me the opportunity to either either go along with it or challenge it, and often mindfully bringing it back to the centre.
There is a lot more to unpack, for example what about positive and negative experiences, complexity and skillset. But this should give you just enough to think about this in your daily life. Are you stuck in a particular mindstate? Are there some mindstates you judge or struggle in? What can you do to change that?
How do I find out more?
If you’d like to find out more, you can:
- Join me every Thursday 12pm UTC for 1 hour ‘Ask me anything’ sessions where I’ll be available to answer queries around Mindstates and testing out some content modules and exercises for an upcoming training course.
- Read the series “Saving the Experience… with Drama”
I’m obsessed where can I go to dive deeper?
Great! First of all, help me socialise this by clapping and sharing.
Time
Being in Time How much should we value the past, the present, and the future?: Paul Bloom – featuring Time biases by Meghan Sullivan
Deep time: Sam Harris talks to Oliver Burkman – The pitfalls of time management and a reframing of what time really is.
Attention
*Attention — How it influences our emotional wellbeing and how to manage it: By Josh Korda at Dharmapunx – Buddhism meets neuroscience.
ADHD & How anyone can improve their focus: Oliver Huberman – 2 hour deep dive into attention deficit disorder and the neuroscience behind it.