The Why and How of Creating Microflow in Your Day.

Have you ever experienced a state of flow? This is a state of complete absorption in an activity, where time seems to stand still and you are completely focused on what you’re doing. It’s a feeling of intense joy and satisfaction that comes from being completely immersed in the moment.

Flow states can be incredibly beneficial for creativity, health, and overall wellbeing. By practicing mindfulness and being mindful of our thoughts and emotions, we can learn to tap into this powerful state more often. This can lead to greater productivity, improved relationships, better health outcomes, and more intelligent growth. In short, it can make us happier!

While understanding the importance of being in a flow state for our mental health and productivity we still need to consider real life practicality. For most of us there are daily tasks and responsibilities that are obligations rather than activities we are excited to do.

But what if you could create a microflow — a smaller, more focused version of the flow state — to help you stay focused on, and possibly even enjoy, the mundane or repetitive tasks we need to accomplish on any given day.

Creating these little microflows throughout your day can help you become more productive and efficient, while still receiving some of the mental health benefits of being in a pure flow state. It can also help you develop better habits and routines that will enable you to reach your goals faster.

We’ll discuss how to create microflow where you can find enjoyment in your activities infuse a little bit of love into everything you do. By following these simple tips, you can create a healthy state of mind that will keep you energized throughout the day.

Tip #1 Apply Goals and Rules to Daily Chores

This can work with jobs at home or work that are smaller or administrative in nature. Once I had a data entry task at work moving client information from one database to another during a software conversion.

I timed how long it took to transfer one customer’s information then I continued to time myself to see if I could beat my best “score”. By turning this repetitious, uninteresting job into a game I was focused, not deterred by distractions and I finished long before the expected deadline of completion.

My colleagues and I who were working on the same project started to compare times and compete against each other, we had a lot of fun. We will refer to our “clicking” days, where we just copied and pasted for hours on end, as a fond memory rather than a grueling job we somehow survived.

Tip #2 Enhance your Environment

My oldest teenager practices this with their kitchen duties. When it’s time to do the dishes they turn on their favorite music and sing along while they work.

They also shared that the feeling of dish water bothered them, we invested in a pair of dishwashing gloves and now they often do the dishes without being asked to.

Put on the music you like, use aromatherapy, wear comfortable clothing or get that stand up desk, have something you enjoy around you while you do the task and soon you will associate it with positive feelings rather than negative.

Tip #3 Make a Deal

Make a bargain with yourself. For example, if I am hesitating on completing a task, I tell myself that I only need to do it for 15 minutes and set a timer. Once the time is up if I still really do not want to be doing that task I allow myself to put it down for another time. Usually I end up deciding to continue though other times I realize I need more rest.

Interestingly, often I am done the task before the 15 minutes ends. When I see how little time the task actually takes in comparison to the time spent thinking about the task, I now tend to act on the small things much more quickly, reducing the tendency to procrastinate.

Tip #4 Work on Your Clock

Every person has different sections of the day they find themselves easily finding flow and productivity. Some are morning people, other’s do their best thinking or producing at night.

If you have the ability to design your day where the important and meaningful tasks are done during the time period you are most likely to be in a flow state, then you are prioritizing and protecting your energy.

When we have the time to focus on our true purpose then it becomes more natural to take care of the maintenance items of life in the other times of day. For myself, a mundane task is ridiculously more frustrating when it coincides with time I want to be spending on creating.

Tip #5 Breathe

Breath is a flow, it flows in and out of us. The more intentional we become with our breath the more our inner sage will present itself, ready to concentrate and take charge of the situation. The simple act of controlling our inhalation and exhalation not only delivers more oxygen to our brain providing fuel, but it also is a reminder that we are in charge of this body and mind. Do we let the day push us around or do we push it around?

The key to creating flow and microflow is intention and mindfulness. Habits are important to establish, but we can create habits so that the manner we conduct them are also great for our wellbeing. Where we can see with fresh eyes, indulge our senses and experience wonder.

Bottom Line is Mindfulness is the Key to Microflow

A viral tweet went out recently that brilliantly describes an opportunity for microflow. I will include the link here but it reads “I had a french professor who once said that if you just did something like going to the supermarket and experienced it fully without the goggles of habit and categories you would go crazy with pure sense and joy. — @boywaif on Twitter”

Next time you go to the grocery story pay attention to the many vibrant colors, textures, aroma’s and other things you probably walk past every other time. Look at an item you have never bought before with curiosity, pay attention to your senses as you walk through the store, wonder how different packages or foods are created, how they made it onto the shelves.

You will feel like an alien experiencing a foreign planet, turning your errand into an adventure. That is the beauty of microflow, it’s a method you can use to ensure that your day-to-day life is filled with love and energy instead of feeling like just another chore, even that trip to the supermarket!

Speaking of vegetables why not check out this article by William J Spirdione:

Or this excellent example of mindfulness by Caroline de Braganza:

Another article I believe worth mentioning here is by Lalitha Brahma