Can you recall an experience when you were so absorbed in something that you completely lost track of space and time and all of your worries melted away?
When your level of skill and the activities level of challenge met perfectly in intensity?
According to positive psychologist, Dr. Csikszentmihalyi, if what I am describing is an experience you are familiar with, you have found the secret to happiness – Flow.
Who is Dr. Csikszentmihalyi
Dr. Csikszentmihalyi (CHICK-sent-me-high-ee), is a Hungarian psychologist, who during WWII was a child was in a concentration camp.
During this time in his life, he played chess to escape his morbid surrounds and found moments of enjoyment while emersed in immense suffering.
Dr. Csikszentmihalyi survived this horrific experience and his curiosity for the power a simple game of chess eventually inspired his influential career in positive psychology.
Listen to Dr. Csikszentmihalyi share his amazing story here
What is Flow?
Flow is defined as an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.
“The mental state of flow involves being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost” – Dr. Csikszentmihalyi, 1990
The coolest thing about Flow is that everyone can experience it in a different way.
- Maybe you are a thrill-seeker and love rock climbing beautiful, but dangerous rock faces.
- Perhaps you are a crochet-master and enjoy creating beautiful new pieces in the comfort of your own home.
- In my personal experience, it is while I am spending a day on the slopes with pals.
Check out my post about my first “Aha! That was Flow!” moment here.
So how would I go about achieving Flow?
To enter the flow state, the most important factor to achieve is a balance between the challenge of the task and the skill of the participant.
When challenge and skill are matching, the result is Flow.
Why should I care about Flow?
There are many other benefits that flow experience provides us with:
- Increased happiness
- More positive emotions
- Better coping skills
- Increased performance
Flow is s-u-p-e-r powerful. So powerful that actually causes a shift in our brain waves!
During Flow, brain waves change from beta waves of concentration to alpha and theta waves which are associated with the relaxation that occurs during meditation.
Bottom Line
- Flow is a powerful tool we can use at work as we encourage folks to find sources of flow in their everyday lives.
- We can also use our knowledge of flow when planning our own self-care, ensuring we are our happiest, most productive selves.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about Flow. Comment below 🙂
Article Resources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/ways-to-achieve-flow-2794769
https://positivepsychlopedia.com/year-of-happy/benefits-of-flow/
