So the flow state is this mystical thing, right? That we are all looking for. At least you would think so, since it’s such a magical phenomena. I guess it’s the feeling you have when the thing you’re doing is effortless and it’s making you feel super joyful and lose the track of time.
Flow State As A Form of Love
So I guess it comes down to this that the Flow State is a form of Love, then.
It could be one of the most loving things to do to yourself to enter the state of flow as often as possible.
I guess writing could be one way to reach flow.
It’s another one of these obsessions of mine. I really am interested in the psychology of happiness, and if you’re a reader of mine, I would suggest you’re probably so as well.
The Magic of Flow
It’s really a thing that relates to how skillfully we are doing something. For example, writing can be such a skill. Writing well can be an activity that puts you into a flow state.
Perhaps doing what you love is a really good way to reach flow. I am sure it’s what dancers feel when they are dancing, and music can be another key thing to put you into flow.
It’s almost as if it’s similar to the shamanistic trance state that I’ve talked about before.
Definition: Flow is a mental state where a person is fully immersed, focused, and engaged in an activity, often leading to high productivity and satisfaction.
Origin: The concept was introduced by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970s.
Characteristics: Key features include intense focus, a sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, and distortion of time.
Conditions for Flow:
- Challenge-Skill Balance: The activity should be challenging yet within the individual’s skill level.
- Clear Goals: There should be clear objectives and immediate feedback.
Autotelic Experience: Flow activities are often intrinsically rewarding, meaning the activity itself is enjoyable, not just the outcome.
Applications: Flow can be experienced in various domains including work, sports, and creative endeavors.
Benefits: Enhances creativity, productivity, and overall well-being.
Barriers: Distractions, lack of focus, or too much pressure can hinder the flow state.
Cultivating Flow: Set clear goals, match the challenge with your skill level, minimize distractions, and practice mindfulness.
Flow and Performance: Achieving flow can lead to optimal performance and greater satisfaction in tasks.
Exactly As My Intuition Told Me
So yeah, flow is a loss of sense of self and time seems to fly by. I really love that explanation. I’ve read Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s work and it really is quite deep.
One thing to keep in mind is that flow is the result of practice, so the more we practice a skill, the better at it we become, and flow becomes a very natural thing over time when engaged in an activity.
For example, it can be hard to flow well in Tennis, if you’re playing it for the first time. But if you’ve been practicing and playing for a while, it can be a natural way to enjoy yourself, just to blast and shoot some balls around.
For me it was the trampoline when I was younger. I used to spend hours jumping around on it and later it was also videogames which I used to play quite a bit, and became pretty skilled at.
I think it’s one reason why I write this blog these days, is because I used to really enjoy talking with my guild mates on the chat of the game, World of Warcraft.
That’s how I got started in writing in English, anyways.
So Don Aapo, How to Enter Flow State?
So it’s always a good thing to find your center, take a few deep breaths and become aware and get centered in your own body, first.
Tai Chi and Yoga can be great for helping us to find flow, since they increase the awareness that we put into our bodies.
The more we’re in touch with our physical body, the more effortlessly and gracefully we can move our bodies.
So are there any other points about it? I am not sure. Just find some activity that is suitable to reach flow in, like yoga or dancing or writing or just about anything works, even speaking can be, and do it like an artist, that’s how you get immense results and your satisfaction will go through the roof.
So we’ve discussed Flow thus far and seen it as a form of Love and perhaps Self-Love.
So that is a really important point.