8 Tips to Reach a State of Flow
From Surfing to Rolling Sushi, You’re Invited …
When we’re in flow, we feel in full control and focused. We have a sense that what we’re doing is important and time seems to disappear —an hour can pass in what seems like a mere minute. Great as this may sound, for most of us, as psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi argues in his book Flow, the daily reality is one of perpetual ontological anxiety. We’re either running around like headless chickens trying to tick the boxes of an infinite to-do list or we find ourselves mindlessly watching silly YouTube clips for hours at a time. To help you get into a state of flow, 8 quick tips:
Tip #1: Define clear borders for the task at hand.
Flow grows within constraints. It is part of human nature to try and overstep a limit. If a task has clearly defined borders, your inner almost child-like drive to cross those borders will bring you towards a state of flow.
Tip #2: Do things that require skill.
Your mind wanders 47% of the time and, according to psychologist Matthew Killingsworth, this wandering hampers your flow. Your mind belongs in one place and so the requirement to use a skill to fulfil a task will help you to focus which in turn will bring you closer to being in flow.
Tip #3: Do things that are intrinsically rewarding.
You can’t get into flow for ‘have to do’ tasks. Of course, we all have to do things we don’t get very excited about, but with a bit of effort, you can easily identify the small things which will give you personal fulfilment in even the most tedious tasks.
Tip #4: Focus on ongoing feedback.
For a task to become effortless, you need to know how you are doing. Trust your senses and, more importantly, trust yourself. By continuously evaluating what you are doing, flow will become your dominating force.
Tip #5: Do the task intentionally.
Concentration = Flow
Tip #6: Realize that Flow isn’t instantaneous.
Flow requires skill, and so it requires the investment of time. Hours and hours of training and practice go into performing surgery, ice skating, or even mastering a video game. Only the most accomplished practitioners can make something look effortless. Don’t expect miracles, expect to need some time to get warmed up.
Tip #7: Be free of interruptions and avoid multi-tasking.
Turn of your phone, close your browser and shut the door. Flow requires focus and time, your chances are best when you’re alone concentrating on the one task at hand. The world isn’t as hurried as we make it to be: things can wait.
Tip #8: . Remember that flow and happiness are different.
Flow and happiness aren’t the same things. There’s a widespread believe that flow equals a state of exhilarating bliss, but this isn’t the case. Flow is more a state of immersion or absorption. When working in flow, time simply seizes to exist. After the task is finished you’ll feel the satisfaction —in retrospect.
To sum up, whether you’re anxious or bored, Csikszentmihalyi’s ideas about flow offer a way to get more from everyday life. From windsurfing to quilting to singing arias to rolling sushi, you’re invited to find the joy of complete engagement.
[T]here you are.
