Do you ever find yourself so completely immersed in what you’re doing that you lose track of time?
Perhaps you were making music, riding your bike, surfing a wave or working on a big project.
Whatever activity you were doing, all of a sudden you look up at the clock and realise that hours have passed and you missed dinner time.
Now that's called flow.
The greatest people in history used this state of mind to push boundaries, overcome challenges, and unlock their full potential.
Leonardo da Vinci, for example, was in a flow state when he painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Einstein was in deep flow when he formulated the theory of relativity, Steve Jobs when he founded Apple and Michael Jordan whenever he was playing basketball, making them all the best in their fields.
But this flow state doesn't just unlock deep focus and productivity, it also unlocks happiness.
Mahily Csikszentmihalyi, who is considered the founding father of flow psychology, called it “the secret to happiness.”
What Is Flow?
Flow is often described as a state of consciousness that makes work feel effortless. People are so focused on the task at hand that everything seems to disappear, like they're “in the zone”, and feel as if there is a merging of their actions and their awareness, and that they have control over the situation.
When people feel flow, they are in a state of intense concentration. Their thoughts are focused on an experience rather than on themselves, and they lose a sense of time - like time freezes and 5 hours go by in like 5 minutes.
When Mihaly was interviewing individuals about the moments in their lives when they felt the happiest and performed their best, he identified seven key conditions that tend to manifest when an individual enters a state of flow:
- Completely involved in what they are doing - focused, concentrated.
- A sense of ecstasy - of being outside everyday reality
- Great inner clarity - knowing what needs to be done , and how well we are doing
- Knowing the activity is doable - that our skills are adequate to the task
- A sense of serenity - no worries about oneself, and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego
- Timelessness - thoroughly on the present, hours seem to pass by in minutes
- Intrinsic motivation - whatever produces flow becomes its own reward
What Causes Flow?
The idea is that we pay the most attention to the task at hand when the challenge of the task slightly exceeds our skillset. For instance, we won't feel flow when we're doing the dishes. Because most people are highly skilled dishwashers, and washing dishes is not a very challenging task to begin with.
However, snowboarding or playing chess, are activities that are more challenging and need our utmost concentration in order to meet our skill level and to do well in the activity.
So, the challenge must not be so great that our efforts seem futile, which can create a state of anxiety, but it also must not be so small that we get no reward or the activity does not seem worthwhile, creating a state of boredom.
Besides this challenge-skills balance, which is kind of the golden rule to flow, two other conditions need to be present for flow to occur.
- The activity must provide specific goals to keep the person’s attention focused
- Clear feedback must be provided to allow the person to adjust their progression
If all of these elements are present, we cease to worry about anything else and we emerge refreshed and happier than when we started out.
Why Is It Good To Feel Flow?
According to Mihaly, happiness is not something that just happens. It's not the result of good fortune or random chance, and it's not something money can buy or power command.
In his research, he found that once a person makes it a little beyond the average poverty level, their material resources don’t affect how happy they are. To think that you would be happier if you just had a nicer house or a higher salary is therefore simply wrong.
As Viktor Frankl, the Austrian psychologist who survived Auschwitz, described it in his book Man's Search for Meaning:
“Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue… as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.”
So, happiness isn't something we stumble upon or find like a hidden treasure. It's something we create within ourselves by how we perceive and engage with the world around us.
Now, interestingly, research has discovered that people who consistently report high levels of well-being and life satisfaction are those who regularly experience flow. And this holds true regardless of their gender, age, or cultural background.
This is because flow promotes a sense of engagement and absorption. During flow, we become fully engrossed in the task at hand, making us feel completely present and in the moment. This absorption helps to quiet the constant chatter of our minds and allows us to temporarily let go of worries and concerns. As a result, we experience a sense of relief and escape from daily stressors, leading to increased feelings of happiness and contentment.
Flow also provides a clear sense of purpose and progress. When we engage in activities that challenge and stretch our abilities just enough, we get a sense of progress and achievement. This continuous feedback loop between our efforts and the immediate results of our actions fuels a sense of competence and fulfillment, boosting our happiness.
Lastly, flow experiences provides a sense of control and mastery. When we are in flow, we have a sense of control over our actions and outcomes. We feel that our skills and efforts have a direct impact on the task at hand and this perception of mastery and autonomy generates feelings of self-confidence and empowerment, strengthening our sense of self and contribute to our overall happiness.
What Blocks Flow?
Unfortunately, in today's world, there are so many things that distract us and prevent us from getting into a state of flow.
Many of us wake up and the first thing we do is grab our phones. We then spend the next hour scrolling through social media and getting bombarded with tons of information that interrupts our focus and flow.
What we should do instead is to try not using our phone for the first few hours after waking up and use that time to focus on the most important work we have to do that day.
However, even if we manage to get rid of all the distractions around us, sometimes it's still tough to get into that state of flow where everything just seems to click. This is because of something that's called flow proneness, which is basically your natural tendency to access that state of flow and how likely you are to experience it.
Interestingly, studies have found that our flow proneness is at its highest first thing in the morning. So, a good strategy is to start working straight after waking up.
Of course, it's important to remember that what works best can vary from person to person. Some individuals might find that evenings are their prime time for achieving a state of flow, while others find their brain works best after a nap.
Now, there's another important aspect to consider when it comes to flow: the environment. Creating an environment that supports your flow state can make a significant difference.
A messy desk, for instance, often leads to a messy brain. So, keeping your workspace clean and organised, and free from distractions that might break your concentration, will help get you into that state of flow.
Steps To Unlocking Happiness
So, how can we get into a state of flow and unlock happiness? Well, let's put all the information together in some actionable steps.
Step 1. Identify Your Flow Activities
If you want to get into a flow state and unlock happiness on command, you first need to identify those activities that you enjoy the most and that have those three flow triggers present: 1) clear goal, 2) immediate feedback, and 3) a challenge-skills balance.
You can do this by simply making a list of activities you know you will enjoy and will get you in a flow state, as well as a list of activities or things that you don't really enjoy.
These activities could be anything that aligns with your interests and passions, whether it's playing a musical instrument, engaging in a sport you love, or pursuing a hobby that challenges you.
Step 2. Identify When You're Most Focused During The Day
To make the most of your day and get things done effectively, it's important to align your tasks with the time when your brain is most alert and focused.
We all have different times of the day when we feel most alive and productive. Some of us are morning people, ready to tackle challenges as soon as we wake up. Others are night owls, finding their peak energy and concentration later in the day. And for some, a short nap can recharge their mental batteries and bring out their best.
So by identifying your optimal time for focus, you can prevent yourself from spreading too thin, saving that precious time for your most important tasks—the ones that truly require your full attention and effort.
Step 3. Remove Distractions
To enhance your ability to enter a state of flow and maintain focus on your tasks, it is crucial to minimise distractions from your digital devices.
Your phone, with its constant notifications and access to social media, can easily pull you away from the present moment and disrupt your flow. By turning off your phone or setting it to silent mode, you can create a conducive environment for deep concentration and uninterrupted work.
In addition to managing phone distractions, it is equally important to disable email notifications. The constant chimes or pop-ups can disrupt your train of thought and draw your attention away from the task at hand.
Studies have shown that multitasking between email and other work significantly reduces productivity and hinders our ability to achieve a flow state. For instance, a study involving coders revealed that it took them a minimum of 15 minutes to refocus and reenter a state of flow after a distraction. In some cases, individuals struggled to regain their flow state altogether.
So, by disabling email notifications or scheduling specific times to check and respond to emails, you can create a focused space where you can immerse yourself in your work and maintain the flow state for longer periods.
Step 4. Add An Element Of Challenge
As I covered earlier, when the challenges you face are too easy, you might find yourself becoming bored or disinterested. So in order to enter the flow state, you need to increase the level of challenge. By stretching yourself just a little bit, you can get in to “the zone” and fully immerse and engage in what you're doing.
On the other hand, if the challenges you encounter are too overwhelming or beyond your current abilities, you may feel frustrated or discouraged. This happens, for instance, when we start learning new skills. As we often approach the learning process with the expectation of knowing everything right from the start, we quickly become overwhelmed and stop trying.
So, you need to find that sweet spot where your skills and the challenges you face are in perfect harmony. That's why the challenge-skills balance is so important.
Step 5. Schedule Daily Recovery Times
Finally, it's important to allocate a specific time each day for complete detachment from work and technology. This time, known as recovery time, allows you to recharge and rebalance yourself effectively.
During this period, you can engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Spending quality time with loved ones, taking a leisurely walk with your dog, or practicing meditation are all great options.
It is during this phase that our brains consolidate the newly acquired skills and knowledge, reinforcing their retention.
So, by incorporating these steps into your weekly and daily routines, you will gradually experience more flow in your everyday life. As a result, you will find yourself more focused on what truly matters to you while minimising the impact of distractions and increasing your overall happiness.
References
- Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1996). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.
- Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York, NY: Harper and Row.
- Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, & Csikzsentmihalyi, Isabella Selega (Eds.). (1988). Optimal Experience: Psychological studies of flow in consciousness. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
- Marr, A. J. (2001). In the zone: A biobehavioral theory of the flow experience. Athletic Insight,3(1).
- Pursuit of Happiness. (n.d.). The Science of Happiness and Positive Psychology. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/science-of-happiness/
- Tordet C, Erhel S, Wodey E, Jamet E, Nardi N, Gonthier C. The Flow Observational Grid: An observation-based solution to assess flow states. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2021 Oct;22:3069-89.