I’ve turned into a bit of a couch potato this week as I’ve been glued to my TV watching the Olympic games from Paris. I am in awe of these athletes. To compete at this level, you need to be blessed with a certain amount of natural ability. Beyond that, though, you need passion, strong work ethic and focus. I think it’s safe to say these athletes spend a lot of time in flow state.
Cristiana discussed flow state in her post Single Tasking: The Power of Flow State at Work. Beyond workplace and productivity, though, flow state has benefits in so many areas of our lives.
About Flow State
I first learned of flow state in the coursework for the retirement coaching certification I completed earlier this year. It’s a key principle in the field of positive psychology. Pioneered by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow state isn’t a new concept. It has been around for decades.
Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake.” It can best be described as a state of total engagement. You achieve it when you are fully immersed in an activity with no room for distractions. If something you do makes you feel any of the following, you have likely experienced flow state:
- Losing all track of time.
- Feeling like you can do this all day every day and never tire of it.
- Loving to share your passion and energy with others.
- Describing the times when you do this as some of the best moments of your life.
Personally, the times when I have experienced this type of total engagement have been associated with creative activities like singing or writing. Other people experience it when pursuing hobbies they love, playing a sport, learning, or even working.
In addition to learning and skill development, flow state has been linked to improved ability to regulate emotions, increased happiness, higher intrinsic motivation, and enhanced creativity and performance. For more information on these benefits, read this article from Very Well Mind.
Finding Your Flow State
The neat thing about flow state is anyone can reap these benefits. It’s not reserved for authors, artists or Olympic athletes. Let’s look at some ways to get there.
Identify a Task You’re Passionate About
The first step is identifying an activity that you think has the potential to put you in a state of flow. Think about activities that you enjoy. Is there one that stands out that meets the criteria I mentioned above?
It doesn’t matter if you choose singing, dancing, writing, cooking, playing tennis, or running, the important thing is to choose an activity you feel you can fully immerse yourself in.
Add a Challenge
To get to flow state, the activity should include an element of challenge. Ideally, it would be just challenging enough, but not so difficult that you get frustrated and give up.
For me, the reason I experienced flow when practising my music or singing with the band is the added element of needing to focus on remembering lyrics and song structure while paying attention to all the other musicians—all at the same time.
If there’s an activity where you experienced flow state in the past but you’ve lost that flow, it may be time to add a new challenge. That’s exactly what I did when I started singing with a band after singing in choirs my entire life.
Eliminate Distractions and Go for It
Modern life has so many distractions that disrupt our flow and take away from full enjoyment of many activities.
To really get to flow state, eliminate distractions as much as possible. Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted, turn off your phone (or at least silence notifications), and let the flow begin.
Achieving a state of flow might not turn you into an Olympic athlete, but it can boost your ability to manage life’s day-to-day struggles. What have you got to lose?
What puts you in a flow state? Do you have ideas on ways to cultivate flow. Drop me a comment below and let me know.
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