Many workers from across a range of fields, including art, science and sport, have recalled feeling a state of heightened intensity when producing work that is meaningful to them. They lose their sense of self and fully immerse themselves in their craft. This can even happen to the extent that physical needs such as food and sleep are temporarily forgotten or neglected. This altered perception has been dubbed as the ‘Flow’ state by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
‘Flow’ Theory states that we can alternate mental states to redirect our attention and energy towards a specific task, causing the exclusion of other tasks and distractions. In the ‘flow’state, self-awareness is lost. Meanwhile, the mind filters out any surroundings that are irrelevant to the current task. We are less conscious of the passage of time. This leads to increased productivity as the mind is shielded from the presence of roadblocks that threaten to halt progress. It is an ability that is achievable by all and we channel it repeated without even acknowledging it.
There are different ways to increase our chances of unlocking the ‘flow’ state. One known key is our perception of the task at hand as appraising a task to be easy may lead to apathy. Without feeling the need to be engaged, it is easy to produce work that does not reflect your true ability. Thus, anticipating that what you need to do may be demanding could be the trigger that helps you to build focus once you get started.
Apathy can also be the predominant mentality during procrastination. Postponing work only to browse Twitter or scroll through Instagram is a way of choosing ease over challenge. Whilst doing this can be entertaining and also make time fly by, it is a counterfeit flow experience. The lack of challenge means that less skill is being exercised. The result is the absence of any long-term sense of reward or fulfilling satisfaction. This may explain the feeling of hollowness after periods of procrastination, even though the time was spent doing something that seemed stimulating in the moment. When accessed correctly, the flow experience should be rewarding and leave you feeling powerful.
Another factor is how we manage the task. This is about breaking the task down into smaller,specific steps or goals. When writing an essay, it might be useful to make separate outlines of what you want to include in each segment. The satisfaction of ticking-off each little objective provides a stream of positive feedback that will encourage your progress. Following this bread-crumb trail of accomplishment should lead you deeper into the flow state and maintain your focus.
Flow can be more than just a tool for productivity. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi argues that the ability to dive into the ‘flow’ state is a great source of inner happiness.Attention that would usually go to the problems and negativity of everyday life, is instead diverted away into the outlets of our choice. This allows us to absorb ourselves into something that we care about. By learning to use‘flow’ well, you can harness the positivity that comes with it and create your own optimal experience.
