Flow: What Is It And How Do I Achieve It?

In the field of Positive Psychology, flow is a commonly discussed phenomenon. I heard it for the first time while in school and was fascinated by the topic. Positive Psychology focuses on what helps people excel in life. It studies what goes right and brings someone from normal to thriving versus Clinical Psychology for example which studies what goes wrong and tries to help someone go from dysfunctional to normal. Flow is essential to the field of Positive Psychology so in other words, Flow is essential for our deeper happiness.

Flow: What is it?

Experiencing flow can be described as a state of full immersion and focus. Some would colloquially refer to this as being in “the zone”. A common result of flow is the loss of one’s sense of time due to intense absorption in an activity or thing. The term was coined by psychologist Mihaly Robert Csikszentmihalyi, who is well known for his studies of happiness and creativity.

You most likely experience flow but are simply not aware of what it is and don’t have a word for it. The best way I can think of to understand it is being in “the zone” as previously stated. You are so focused and interested in what you are doing that it consumes your entire consciousness and things around you seem to disappear. This is common to see in athletes and musicians for example. A musician may spend all day writing music and practicing only to realize that they haven’t eaten and didn’t even feel hungry. An athlete may not even notice the thousands watching as they perform. A writer may write all day and feel like it has just been a few hours.

This is flow. It is the perfect balance between skill and difficulty. When an activity is too easy, it is boring and not fulfilling. If it is too difficult, you become aware of your inadequacies and it produces stress and frustration. Flow occurs when you enjoy the activity and it challenges you just enough to become absorbed in the process and experience pure joy.

Benefits of Flow

So why is it important to know about flow? Positive psychologists see flow as an important aspect of happiness and well-being. 

• Simply put, the more flow you can experience in your life the happier you are. 
• It increases your sense of fulfillment and self-realization. A bored or overly-stressed life is certainly not a fulfilled and happy one. 
• It helps reduce stress by focusing fully on the moment at hand.
• Flow states increase productivity and creativity.
• It helps improve the learning process and skill development.
• It allows you to look for and find what truly brings you joy.

Essentially, flow is a natural high which brings us more joy and something to look forward to during the day. When we are experiencing more of it in our lives we will know that we are truly living and not only moving through the days. Now, how can we achieve more flow in our daily lives?

How to Achieve More Flow?

Now that you are aware of flow and what it is, you can focus on cultivating more of it each day. For most of us, our daily life is either consumed by work or school or both. This is a good place to start. If we can learn to experience flow in these moments, that will already be a huge step in the right direction. 

First, find something you enjoy. It is hard or even impossible to experience flow if you dislike the task. So study something that actually interests you or find more interest in what you study. The same goes for your occupation. At work, be present during the enjoyable parts of the jobs or search for a job that fulfills you more.

Your work and school should also be challenging yet not impossible. If your job is too simple of a task, find ways to challenge yourself and set goals to improve. Maybe you just need a more challenging job. However, you could also just start something on the side that you actually enjoy which makes your day-job more tolerable. In school, if something is too challenging, study and become competent enough so that you no longer feel behind. This will put you in a better state to experience flow. Learn about other fields of study until you find one which truly lights your interests. When you would study something even if you didn’t have a test on it, then you have found flow in your studies.

Lastly, learn to focus more and clear distractions. You can practice being more focused and present in any task whether it be a conversation, a meal, driving home, etc. A key characteristic of flow is a heightened state of focus. You will find that learning to focus more will also be an escape from the typical thoughts of your own mind and make any activity more enjoyable and interesting. You can really experience flow in any situation especially after you practice it more. It will differ from person to person so it will take some experimenting on your part as well.

Conclusion

Maybe you had heard of flow before or were aware of the feeling but just didn’t have a name for it. Either way, we know very well that the more flow we can experience the better. For those who are truly seeking a fulfilled life that you look forward to each day, flow is the answer. If you are interested in learning more about Flow, this book is a great place to start. Find more moments where you can be in “the zone” and you will quickly see improvements in your overall wellness.

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