Good points, #1 can become especially loopy for me (my fight or flight response is jacked up to 11) to the point of being bothersome. When I notice it veering into unhealthy territory, I try to use mindfulness techniques to reel it in. Still, it's "normal" in that it's not indicative of mental illness other than maybe social anxiety.
But I disagree slightly on #3. My frame of reference is thru-hiking and/or intense solo missions where I'm alone in the backcountry hiking for 10-14 hours a day for days on end. In that setting, I find it impossible to stay mindful continuously. Also, without news/email/social media/etc. as input, I just find that my mind gravitates towards internal dialogues about the same big picture life issues. In that state, I'm actually listening to my body and mind more, not less. Personally, it can be frustrating to worry about whether I'm "in the moment" enough (the quintessential frustration with mindfulness, I know).
That said, I do try to mix it up between fully immersing myself in the wonderment of the wilderness, letting my mind chew on ideas, listening to podcasts/music, and sometimes attempting actual meditation sessions.
Reading this whole thread makes me wonder if such internal dialogue is correlated with a sensitive fight or flight response (on which I can also relate) and anxiety. When I practice daily meditation, limit my computer/phone/internet usage, I find that both tend to subside, so maybe there is something to it, although the cause and effect could all be tangled up here.
One definitely should not be frustrated or worrying about being in the moment! I agree that it is all normal in the sense that one shouldn't be worrying about any of these habits. It's just that for me it was a revelation when after many many years I realized that I do not have to have/follow internal dialogues and that they may actually causing me tension and anxiety.
But I disagree slightly on #3. My frame of reference is thru-hiking and/or intense solo missions where I'm alone in the backcountry hiking for 10-14 hours a day for days on end. In that setting, I find it impossible to stay mindful continuously. Also, without news/email/social media/etc. as input, I just find that my mind gravitates towards internal dialogues about the same big picture life issues. In that state, I'm actually listening to my body and mind more, not less. Personally, it can be frustrating to worry about whether I'm "in the moment" enough (the quintessential frustration with mindfulness, I know).
That said, I do try to mix it up between fully immersing myself in the wonderment of the wilderness, letting my mind chew on ideas, listening to podcasts/music, and sometimes attempting actual meditation sessions.