Flow 101: Balance and Focus for Personal Fulfillment
When you are occupied with an activity you enjoy, it is likely that you become fully immersed in the task. You feel focused and energized. Time passes quickly, and you will typically experience feelings of happiness, fulfillment, and contentment. Chances are you went into this activity with a purpose, a plan. Your thoughts were centered and your mind at peace. During your experience, whether you were engaged at work or in a favorite hobby, you were not likely thinking about anything other than the task at hand, losing yourself to the experience.
Finding Happiness in the State of Flow
Renowned Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, recognized this mental and emotional concept during his investigation and study of creativity and happiness. He called the phenomenon "flow." Having since written many books and articles on the subject of flow, Csikszentmihalyi notes that while in the state of flow, our minds are free of distractions and our physical needs go unnoticed. We engage in our chosen activity for the sake of the activity alone. We are at our happiest in the state of flow.
The Necessary Components of Flow
Achieving flow is not dependent on high intelligence, education, or your choice of occupation. Csikszentmihalyi notes that flow is not depended on what people do, but how they interpret their experiences. The primary requirements of flow include having a mind with the capability to set challenges, and the willingness to invest the effort to meet those goals.But the concept of flow does not rely on goal setting alone. In order to achieve flow, certain attributes must be present within the experience. Csikszentmihalyi characterizes the components of flow as:
A feeling of being completely absorbed in your current activity
Possessing a clear vision of the goal you are striving to achieve
Lacking awareness of your bodily needs such as hunger, thirst, or sleep
The realization that time has passed quickly
The balance between challenge and your skill level
A sense of having personal control over your task
A feeling that the task itself is rewarding
Losing your conscious feelings of self, the internal distractions are silent
The ability to maintain concentration for a sustained amount of time
The awareness that you will receive direct and immediate feedback
To achieve flow, your chosen activity cannot be too easy or too difficult. If your task is too easy, you will lose interest and become apathetic. If your task is too difficult, frustration may result. With the right balance of skill and challenge, you will achieve a state of intense focus. You live in the moment, in the present, without worries or troublesome thoughts interfering with the completion of your chosen task.
The Three Required Components for Achieving Flow
Flow is an optimal state of mind when you feel your best and perform at optimal levels. A time of total absorption. You may not be too surprised to learn that when you achieve flow, your brain has the ability to process more information, more thoroughly.It is essential to acknowledge that you can be in a state of flow without achieving every listed component of the flow state, but there are three essential components to achieving flow. The following criteria are crucial to flow:
Recognition of Your Goal
To achieve flow, you must be engaged in an activity with a specific goal in mind. Your goal defines the structure and motivation to pursue your You must be able to assign some degree of meaning to your goal and feel a personal connection to your work.
A Perception of Balance
There needs to be a sense of balance between your skill level and the perceived challenge of the task. Your activity must present enough challenge to increase your current skill level without frustration, and enough variety to hold your interest.
The Anticipation of Feedback
Clear and immediate feedback is necessary in order to improve your performance and achieve flow. In the arts, feedback may come in the response of others to your efforts, on the job, feedback could come from a client or supervisor. It's important to note that flow does not necessarily require feedback from others. Quite often, the awareness of your progress is enough to facilitate flow.
Understanding the Flow Experience
To understand living in a state of flow, imagine flow as it relates to being involved in a game of skill, something like tennis, chess, or poker. Each of these games has a goal. Each of these games has a set of rules. Players who know the game well can play without questioning what needs to be done during gameplay.If the game provides enough challenge for the duration of play, the player is focused only on the game. Since the rules are black and white, the sense of self is lost. The conclusion of the game provides immediate feedback. The challenges faced during gameplay offers the opportunity to learn new skills. Learning new skills attracts the player to new challenges. Flow is achieved, and gameplay is perceived as a positive experience.
Enhancing Your Ability to Achieve Flow
While flow will typically happen on its own, the average person spends less than five percent of their day in flow. Increasing the amount of time spent in flow will increase your productivity and your sense of personal fulfillment. To increase your flow opportunities, consider the following suggestions:
Avoid Multitasking - Attaining flow requires concentration on a single task. Your brain is wired to focus on one concept at a time. If you are trying to achieve more than one goal, you will not enter a flow state.
Focus on the Process - While you need to be aware of the significance of your task to achieve flow, it is imperative to focus on the task, not the goal. When you are entirely focused in the moment, your brain is more productive.
Add Challenges to Mundane Tasks - If you find a task dull, reestablish the significance of the task. Establish your goal and challenge yourself by looking for ways to get the job done more efficiently, or more thoroughly. Focus your attention fully to each step of the process.
Spend Less time in Passive Activities - While hobbies and leisure activities provide many opportunities to experience flow, most of us devote four times as much time to passive experiences, like television or listening to music, than engaging in happiness-invoking experiences.
Take Self-Care Seriously - When we are tired, stressed, or lack the necessary discipline, we settle for something less than flow. Flow is difficult to achieve when exhaustion sets in. Alternately, when flow is achieved before fatigue strikes, the lack of physical awareness may alter your perception, and you may not feel tired.
Commit to a Reasonable Goal. In order to achieve flow, you need a feeling of confidence that the task at hand is reasonable. Lack of confidence in your abilities could keep you from achieving flow. Setting smaller short-term goals will build your confidence. Confidence in your abilities encourages the state of flow.
Eliminate Common Distractions. Ideally, your work environment should be distraction free. Eliminating distractions will help you achieve and maintain a state of flow. Silence your phone if you can and disengage your email notifications. If ambient noise is a continuous distraction, consider investing in headphones and white noise.
The Absence of Flow Causes Apathy and Dissatisfaction
The lack of flow in your life can leave you feeling disengaged and discouraged. If you are unable to achieve flow in your career, take notice. The lack of flow in your workday could indicate that you need to evaluate your goals or the way you think about your current position.If you are feeling the effects of too little challenge, if you are feeling apathetic to the many tasks involved in your current position, you have three choices. You can continue as you are, you can change your approach, or decide it's time to move on. Consider the following methods of changing your approach to your job to reestablish your engagement.
Set personal goals that involve challenging your current skill levels
Build fulfilling relationships to increase your feelings of connection to your work
Consider finding new approaches to the way you do your job
Look for opportunities to take on additional workplace responsibilities
Look for additional means of contribution by mentoring or volunteering to train new hires
Continue learning to stimulate and challenge your brain. Take advantage of additional training opportunities or attend outside courses
If despite your efforts, you are unable to achieve flow in the workplace, it may be beneficial to consider alternative employment opportunities.Flow is the absence of stress and boredom. By setting clear goals, challenging your comfort levels and eliminating distractions, you can achieve flow more often throughout the day. Increasing the amount of time spent in flow, at work and at home, will contribute to your levels of happiness, fulfillment, and personal satisfaction.