We are very likely experienced through mindfulness practices, so our normal state is not one of the flow, but one of the wanderings of the mind. Whenever we practice being, we begin to shift our attention periodically, focusing our attention on the present moment whenever our minds wander.
It’s similar to paying attention to engagement. Think of it as a “directed presence,” or cultivating being present in the midst of the activities we engage in, such as brainstorming with colleagues, working out, catching up with a partner, putting your child to bed. Psychologists have the name of this state of full involvement. They call it “flow.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, one of the first psychologists to conduct research on this experience, talks about it in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. He describes Flo as “a state in which people are very involved in activities and nothing else seems to be important. The experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it at a great price to do it.”
Links flow states and mindfulness
By definition, you can experience presence anywhere, anywhere. You can lie down on the beach and walk to your car or sit in the traffic. It may be passive or active. Flow, on the other hand, is a purely active state that is almost in an easy state. According to Csikszentmihalyi, when “both challenges and skills are high and comparable to each other,” ideal conditions arise.
Many top athletes, artists, and intellectuals have described this experience. Greek tennis champion Stefanos Tsitsipas recently described the dramatic changes he had when playing in a flow state and when he was playing normally. “It brings you to another level. You’re not playing with your skills anymore, you’re playing with your soul.”
Flows don’t always come naturally. We often have to resist the temptation of short-term joy to get there.
Legendary jazz bassist Buster Williams recalls his experience playing with Miles Davis, and his engagement has increased. “Use the miles to get to where you followed the music rather than following it.
These explanations may make the flow sound mystical, but you don’t need to be a star tennis player or a legendary jazz bassist to experience a state of complete engagement. Flows are accessible to everyone while challenging morning runs, during important PTA meetings, or offering presentations at work. For example, Csikszentmihalyi’s study found that full-time caregivers are more likely to experience the state the same way as athletes and musicians. One mother described the engagement situation that took place when her daughter was working with her daughter when she discovered something new. “Her reading is one of the things she really is interested in, and we read together. She reads to me, I read to her. It’s when I lose contact with the rest of the world.
FOMO – The flow of missing?
The work of Csikszentmihalyi and fellow researcher Martin Seligman illuminates the relationship between flow and happiness. In one study, his team had 250 “high flow” and 250 “low flow” teenagers kept mood records throughout the day at certain times. When the team looked up the responses, they were told that low-flow teens spent most of their time in a state of release, wandering around the mall or watching TV. In contrast, high-class teenagers were more likely to spend time developing hobbies, academic interests and athletic skills.
How did these two groups acquire a measure of happiness? The high-flow group was found to be superior to the low-flow group on all measures of psychological well-being, except for one. Seligman wrote: “The exception is important. High-flow kids think that low-flow peers are more enjoyable, and say they do things ‘fun’ at the malls and watch TV. ”
The only drawback of experiencing the flow was the feeling of missing short-term joy. A joy that cannot produce long-term happiness. Two useful conclusions can be drawn from this study.
First, engagement is associated with increased happiness and happiness. The more you live in a state of flow, the more you grow and experience meaningful success. However, experiencing mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety can reduce your ability to access flow. In a 2022 study published in PLOS One, researchers looked at 664 musicians (a population with a high percentage of anxiety) and factors that were more or less suitable for flow conditions during performance. Researchers found that the more anxiety the musicians reported, the less likely they are to experience the flow.
Second, flows don’t always come naturally. We often have to resist the temptation of short-term joy to get there. When we do so, we set the stage for this exquisite experience of full absorption of tasks at hand.
Three essentials for flow state
As identified by Csikszentmihalyi and subsequent flow researchers, three key conditions are required to experience flow.
1. A set of clear and purposeful goals for your activities. This will help you draw your attention.
2. A sense of subjective balance between the challenging nature of an activity and the skill level to navigate it.
3. Clear immediate feedback showing how well you are and where you can improve.
To create these ideal conditions in the flow, book 10 minutes (or more) each day for an attractive and purposeful task. Shut down or silence your phone, close your browser and email, turn off your TV to eliminate digital distractions. Then, using these 10 minutes, focusing on a project, task, or hobby, but find it difficult yet fun. If you make a mistake or the outcome is not what you intended, instead look at it as feedback and adjust what you’re doing accordingly, rather than criticizing yourself.
You can also try periods of intensive engagement and periods of rest and recovery on an alternate basis. Be careful when your thoughts start to slow down or when you stop working at the peak level of focus. Next, take action by taking time to recharge your mind. Walk around, stretch, and take deep breaths. Finally, rewire your brain to create this habit by experiencing the feeling of giving your mind and body a well-earned break. Neuroscientist Judson Brewer says it’s powerful once you start to notice. “What does that mean compared to when I realize I’m aware of these body sensations that I’m trying to tell us to do things and just realize I’m with them? We have to get out of our way.”
How to enter a flow state
For some, the flow is almost natural. Mozart began his concert at the age of six. Picasso painted his first masterpiece at the age of eight. People like Mozart and Picasso need not be consciously trained in their engagement skills. This experience of complete absorption in tasks at hand becomes a way of life early on.
But for most of us, discovering how to enter a flow state requires a little more practice and reflection.
The first step is to identify activities that offer flow possibilities. There are three points that can help you identify which activities you are at work or at home.
Challenge: Don’t forget that no flow occurs when things are easy. That’s actually the opposite. Pushing skills and abilities to the limits creates flow. What activities will challenge you? Enthusiasm: The lack of flow and interest does not work. You don’t have to love the activities you are doing, but at least choose something that brings some fun, it helps. What tasks do you enjoy? Skills: Flow requires a certain level of mastery. A beginner who learns to play her first piece on the piano is less likely to experience Flow than a concert pianist with 20 years of experience. You don’t need to achieve full mastery, but achieving high levels of skills is essential. What are your most developed or natural skills?
Write the answers to these three questions on a piece of paper. Next, take your time to reflect on the activities of your life so that you can experience these three qualities.
Adaptation from the start: mastering the habits of lifelong happiness by Eric Langschur and Dr. Nate Klemp.
