Flow is one of life’s most enjoyable states of being. Have you ever been completely immersed in a task, enjoyed what you were doing so much and forgot about time? That’s an example of FLOW!
People sometimes call it being in the zone, where you mind is effortlessly mindful without having to try. There is a sense of focus, inner clarity, inner peace, timelessness, and extreme positive feelings.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychology researcher, found that when an artist is at work, they are single-minded, uniquely focused, and persist in what they are doing in spite of all else. That’s what we can recreate for ourselves every day!
An optimal flow state is when you tackle challenges that is just at the right level of stretch, and when you find the doing of the activity itself to be self-rewarding (not necessarily the end goal).
Check out this Flow Model. Csikszentmihalyi tells us that to find flow, we have to get to that optimal challenge-skill balance. When we find something challenge AND we believe our skillset would help meet that challenge, we’re in FLOW!
Being in a state of FLOW can help us at work, in our health and wellness undertakings, in our relationships, and our hobby pursuits.
Here are some common FLOW-inducing activities. Which of these are yours?
-swimming, cycling, running, tennis, Tai-Chi, yoga
-cooking, baking
-Pomodoros
-playing music, painting, sculpting, knitting
-praying, meditating, mindfulness
-playing games
-working on a project you enjoy
