Psychology and Mental Health
Here's How to Enter a Flow State in Three Simple Steps.
Why is flow state beneficial, and how can we use it effectively?
A Unique and Optimal State for Creativity, Productivity, Health, and Happiness
A flow state is an ideal psychological construct to become creative, productive, and happy. However, it is not just a concept.
The benefits of the flow state are well documented in the mental health, personal development, and psychology literature, such as in this paper.
From my experience, the flow state is a concrete process with clear input, cognitive facilitation, and tangible outcomes.
More importantly, the flow state gives us optimal joy and happiness by grounding us with an unconditional focus on a specific task at a specific time.
Even though Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term “flow state” in his book titled Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience in 1990, this unique and optimal state has always existed in human history.
The conceptual flow state has been part of our evolution, as evident from remarkable inventions mainly created in the flow state where physical and mental energies were aligned.
In a nutshell, the flow state changes the content of our consciousness at a specific time to an optimally functioning mental and physical performance. Flow state brings many benefits.
From my experience, the most significant benefits are stress relief and emotional regulation. However, people usually want to go to the flow state to create better, produce more with less effort, and perform well to achieve desired results.
The flow state is ideal for work and studies as this state is directly related to our cognitive capabilities, such as focus, attention, task switching, memory, and problem-solving.
Professionals, including scientists, doctors, musicians, and athletes, use the flow state to produce better results.
Apart from work and study, my main reason for regularly getting into a flow state is to improve my physical and mental health. In addition to work and study, we can enter a flow state during daily chores, including exercise and eating.
Flow state contributes to these goals by reducing emotional stress. When emotional stress is low, our energies flow better and get balanced. Health requires balance.
In my perspective, intuition and logic work together in a flow state. While reasoning helps solve problems, some complex problems require intuitive input.
The distinguishing factor of remarkable inventors and scientists is the effective and deliberate use of intuition which happens during the flow state more often.
We read stories of masterminds like Tesla, Einstein, Madam Currie, and many other historical figures who contributed to the body of knowledge substantially working in the flow state. I also sensed the flow state in the lives of stoics like Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca from their insightful text.
Based on many years of experience attaining a flow state and observing people who get benefits from it, I learned that neurochemicals and hormones operate in a more balanced way in a flow state.
For example, when I work or study in a flow state, I create more with less stress. The stress of work is replaced with satisfaction. Let me share three tips from my experience.
1 — Understanding the Meaning of “Now” and Living in the Moment
Mindfulness practices significantly contribute to achieving a flow state. Living in the moment is the primary requirement of mindful living.
The fastest way of entering the flow state is to forget about the past and stop thinking about the future. Paradoxically, the sense of time gets distorted in the flow state.
This requires us to focus on the time and the specific task we have at hand. We won’t always be happy every moment.
For example, a particular time might be problematic with pain or discomfort. That is fine. We need to focus on the pain and feel it instead of numbing it. It is critical for healing.
The pain might require us to take some corrective actions. If we focus on these actions unconditionally, it is possible to go into a flow state despite the pain and discomfort. So, the flow state can be healing, in addition to bringing joy to our lives.
However, it is much easier to go into a flow state when we have a better mood. In this case, we cherish the excellent sensations which quickly put us into the flow state.
My point is we must be diligent about bringing our focus and attention to the present moment, whether we are in a good or bad mood. A flow state can neutralize the bad feelings and amplify the good ones.
2 — Focusing on a Single Task with Full Attention
For many years I suffered from the adverse effects of multitasking as it was touted as a productivity tool. However, when I was studying cognitive science in the early 1990s, I learned that multitasking was a myth.
I had to relearn to focus on a single task at hand. As I learned from Mihaly’s work, I focus on a single task so deeply that nothing else matters at that moment.
However, task switching is natural, and improving this cognitive skill is essential for creativity and productivity. In fact, multitasking is not more than extremely quick task switching, which creates adverse effects on our neural system by overloading it.
The human body and the brain are not designed to cope with extreme situations. It is possible to gradually improve task-switching speed as we improve our muscles.
Consequently, it requires time and effort. I failed to multitask before my brain was not trained to switch tasks so quickly. Therefore, it created glitches in coping with extreme stress. I also observed this in numerous people in my circles.
When we focus on a single task at a given moment, our neurochemicals respond and flow more efficiently. However, the chosen task needs to be important and serve our goal.
Therefore, I always focus on tasks in order of importance. Our primitive brain tends to focus on easy tasks to preserve energy. Therefore, we need to utilize our cognitive brain. Flow state happens when we activate the neo-cortex and silence the amygdala and limbic system.
3 — Tricking the Brain for Self-Chosen Priorities
People usually don’t enjoy work assigned by others, especially priorities set by a boss or a supervisor. Therefore, I highlight the importance of the self-chosen task to go into a flow state. Of course, we need to get tasks from our boss to continue our employment.
However, we can trick the brain as the task is chosen by us. For example, the boss tells me to solve a problem to delight a customer in my profession. However, she does not tell me how to do it as she has no clue about the resolution process.
As soon as a task is assigned to me, I create a quick mental plan and prioritize the sub-tasks in order of importance and urgency. Since I set the priority for them, I feel that I own the task and forget about the notion imposed by the boss.
Furthermore, when I achieve small results, each achievement creates small dopamine spikes, which motivates me to get into the next task. So flow state requires instant rewards, which is our responsibility to create.
Our to-do lists usually include many items. Some are urgent, some important, and some trivial. Some tasks might be both urgent and important. It is up to us to decide on choosing the tasks that bring the best value for our goals.
So my point is rather than following a task list, we create a priority list and start with the best value-generating ones.
Conclusions and Takeaways
Flow state is ideal for creating desired results with less time and effort, balancing our energies, and reducing stress while working or studying.
I see the flow state as a creativity and productivity tool since this state significantly improved my desired outcomes.
A flow state can be achieved by improving our cognitive skills such as focus, attention, working memory, task switching, and problem-solving. This means that purposefully activating our cognitive system can tame the primitive and emotional parts of the brain.
Once we wire our brains for this state, it becomes effortless to taste joy daily, even in the middle of a perceived crisis.
However, the essential aspect of the flow state is finding the ground state between extreme challenge and too easy stuff.
If the brain sees a task as too complicated, it creates a feeling of anxiety. Likewise, if it perceives a task as too easy, it creates apathy and boredom. So the flow state occurs in between.
In addition to creativity and productivity, a flow state can also contribute to our physical and mental health leading to a joyful and satisfying life.
As neurotransmitters and hormones work in a more balanced way in the flow state, the body and the brain experience less stress.
From my experience and observations, the fastest way of going into the flow state is a mindful approach to our tasks. Focusing and paying attention to the task at hand is an excellent start.
Refraining from multitasking and concentrating on a single task can depend on the flow state experience. To immerse in the task, we can trick the brain we own and choose the task at hand.
The secret to improving the flow state is gradually improving our skills by increasing each challenge notch by notch. The brain needs time and conditioning to create new neural pathways manifesting as skills to meet specific challenges.
I hope these simple tips can help you taste the flow state and make it part of your life.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. Taking personal responsibility for our health is essential. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
I envisioned humanity winning the battle against diseases in the 33rd century in a lucid dream. I hope my vision is realized one day so suffering end on this planet.
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