A flow state refers to a feeling of calm, focused. pleasant absorption in an activity. When in a state of flow you feel completely engrossed in what you are doing and optimally challenged. What you are doing is not easy, but you are capable and you enjoy the work. Often the concept of time feels different during a flow state. When you break out of a flow state it could feel like only 5 minutes have passed, but a whole hour has gone by. Time flies or it can feel frozen.
Usually when we experience flow states it is because we are engaging in an activity we really enjoy, and it can often give us a strong feeling of purpose.
Wellbeing benefits of flow states:
- Increased happiness – A study into over 300 mountain climbers showed that their experiences of flow increased their levels of happiness.
- Increased life satisfaction – Higher quality of flow leads to higher positive affect (having a general positive outlook) which is associated with greater life satisfaction.
- Finding purpose and self acceptance – A recent study into musician’s experience of flow, found that flow states can help someone to feel a sense of purpose in life and lead to greater self-acceptance.
- Enhances psychological well being – A recent study found that experiences of flow can enhance psychological wellbeing, acting as a preventative factor against poor mental health.
How can I cultivate a flow state?
You might find yourself thinking ‘how can I create this feeling?’ The key is not to force it but there are some things you can do to create a space where you are more likely to experience a state of flow.
- Make sure it’s intrinsically rewarding – It needs to be an activity that you really enjoy doing, something that feels “intrinsically rewarding.” This simply means that when you are doing this activity it just feels right. It feels natural to you, and you really enjoy it.
- Create a distraction free space – You need to create a space where you have little distractions both from the outside world and from your inner dialogue. Often our inner voice can be negative without us realising. This negative self-talk can be harmful to our self-esteem and disruptive to flow states. If you start to feel a sense of anxiety and thoughts bubble up like “I’m not good enough to do X / there’s no point in trying …” you may fall out of the flow state. Find a quiet space with minimal distractions. Try sitting down before attempting to get into a flow state and say some positive statements like:
- I am going to focus on enjoying this activity.
- It doesn’t matter if the end product is good or bad.
- I find this really fun and I’m looking forward to enjoying the process.
- Create optimal difficulty – You are most likely to enter a flow state when an activity is challenging. As you improve with the activity/skill, ensure you increase the intensity of it. However, if the activity is intensely difficult this will produce feelings of stress. Stress is counterproductive to flow states. It can’t be too hard (or too easy either).
- Is my flow social or solitary? – There are different types of flow. Some people will find flow in solo activities such as cooking, reading, writing etc. This is known as “solitary flow.” While others will enjoy “social flow.” Social Flow involves achieving flow as part of a group or a team (commonly experienced in sports).
Entering a flow state can improve your psychological wellbeing, happiness levels and life satisfaction. Sit down and figure out what makes you enter a flow state. Try to set aside some time every week for the activities you enjoy and allow yourself to experience flow.
Yoga with Trish 