Purpose The current study aims to explore if and how mindfulness contributes to the flow experience in high-pressure situations during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, especially in high-risk, challenging contexts such as emergencies. The authors seek to enhance the current understanding of experiencing flow at work, particularly in the crisis context of the COVID-19 period, when challenges become hindrance demands. Prior to investigating the potential processes and mechanisms in this connection, we examined the mediating role of two variables: psychological capital and coping competence. Method The study\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s statistical population comprises all emergency center employees in Mashhad, Iran, totaling 550 during the study. A sample of 220 individuals was selected using a simple random sampling method and the Morgan table. Analysis of the data was conducted using a structural equation model, AMOS, and SPSS software. Results The findings highlight that optimal experiences did not consistently occur among employees practicing mindfulness, especially when challenge stressors shifted to hindrance stressors. While the link between mindfulness and coping competence was confirmed, its connection with flow through coping competence was refuted. Mindfulness was found to be related to flow through psychological capital. Conclusion This study enhances our comprehension of flow experiences in high-risk work environments where challenges are not inherently motivational. The authors explored flow experiences in a work setting with hindrance demands, contrasting previous studies focusing on flow in challenging and motivating contexts like sports, including mountain climbing and surfing. Previous research has shown inconsistent findings regarding the connection between mindfulness and flow experiences, leaving the need for additional exploration to future studies. Additionally, previous research has not delved into the examination of how this relationship unfolds, particularly in terms of the mediating influence of psychological capital and coping competence.

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