It's always a delight watching artists. They are so absorbed in their art forms that they cannot be differentiated from their art form. They are completely immersed in their specific art form, and watching them transcend into a different world altogether is beautiful. It's not just for artists, as many individuals get immersed in certain activities and lose themselves entirely in the process.  

 

According to positive psychology, becoming fully immersed in an activity is called Flow. Flow is a state of mind in which a person becomes fully engaged in an activity. Positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi who discovered flow, describes the phenomenon as complete immersion in an activity. People who attain a flow state are completely involved and absorbed in their actions.  

 

Imagine a particular scenario where you can read the mind of a chess genius playing a crucial match against a strong opponent. You can observe all these emotions happening. Time flies for them, and every action, moment, and thought follows from the previous one. They are totally involved and are using their skills to the maximum.  

 

The flow state is usually associated with creative arts, such as painting, drawing, or writing. However, it can also occur while being part of a sport, such as a tennis, soccer, dancing, or running.  

 

Now that we have understood a flow state, let's know the main ten characteristics accompanying a flow state. While many factors may be present, not all need to be. 

 

Characteristics of Flow: 

 

• The activity is inherently rewarding. 

• There are clear goals that are challenging but attainable 

• There is a complete focus on the activity involved. 

• Individuals feel personal control over the situation and its outcome. 

• People feel calm and experience a loss of self-consciousness. 

• There is immediate feedback on the task done. 

• The individual in the flow state understands that the task can be completed and that there is a balance between skill level and the challenge presented. 

• People experience a lack of awareness of their various needs. 

• There is intense concentration and focused attention. 

• People feel timelessness, which involves a feeling so focused on the present that you lose track of time passing. 

 

But the fundamental question remains: why should we attain a flow state? We all can achieve moderate levels of concentration and do our tasks, but what does flow give us apart from focus and concentration? Let's delve deeper into this concept. 

 

Benefits of Flow State: 

 

• Emotional Regulation 

With a flow state, people develop skills that help them regulate their emotions more effectively as they handle important activities with stability and peace of mind. 

• Fulfillment and Happiness 

When someone is in a flow state, they are happier because they deeply enjoy their work. Because when the task is enjoyable, it gives you a feeling of fulfillment. Research also suggests that flow states may be linked to increased happiness, satisfaction, and self-actualization levels. 

• Intrinsic Motivation 

Flow is a positive mental state, and it thereby increases motivation. Intrinsic Motivation is about doing an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some consequence or reward.  

• Performance and Productivity 

Researchers have found that flow states can perform better in various areas, including teaching, learning, athletics, and artistic endeavors.  

• Mastery of skills  

Because achieving flow is mainly about mastery of the skill you are most focussed on, people keep bettering themselves, leading to creativity and mastery of various skills and attributes.  

 

Dangers of Flow 

 

Though Flow provides a lot of benefits to humankind, we will have to pause and think about the negative aspects that the state of flow may take us to. We will surely have to ascertain if we use flow on moral grounds. Gambling, for example, has all the conditions necessary for flow – they are challenging. They require a high level of skill to stand any chance of winning. Even good and exciting activities such as mountain climbing or gaming can become an addiction. There may come a point where without these activities, life may start to feel meaningless and boring. Even though flow experiences are good, we must clearly understand the aspects that provide us meaning and add value to our lives. 

 

We now move on to the final and most important aspect of this article, how can we achieve flow? 

 

It is estimated that a human takes about 10 to 15 minutes of focused attention to reach a flow state. Once in a flow state, it may last from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. But it is possible to achieve a flow state more than once daily.  

 

The steps to attain flow are as follows: 

 

• Set Clear Goals 

Psychologists say that a person can generally attain flow when they have tasks that have clear goals and require specific responses. The best example can be seen in sports or competitions with a clear end goal; hence, it makes it easier to get into a state of flow. 

 

• Eliminating Distractions 

It's more difficult to find flow when there are a lot of distractions around us, stopping us from the task we truly have to do. We will have to reduce distractions to fully focus on the important task to help us attain flow. 

 

• Add an element of challenge and make the task interesting 

Flow happens when a person’s abilities are utilized to the fullest for a challenging as well as doable, and manageable task.  

 

Csíkszentmihályi recounts, "Flow also happens when a person's skills are fully involved in overcoming a challenge that is just about manageable, so it acts as a magnet for learning new skills and increasing challenges." 

 

• Practicing meditation or mindfulness 

Meditation and Mindfulness help you get into a flow state more readily and often. Mindfulness helps us realize the importance of being in the present moment. 

 

• Choosing pursuits we enjoy 

Working on pursuits you truly love helps you achieve flow, listing out such activities, formulating goals, and working toward achieving them. 

 

Reaping the complete benefits of flow helps us in our various enjoyable pursuits that define our life. Understanding the importance of balance and flow in our lives will untapped the abundant potential waiting to be displayed! Apart from all the benefits mentioned above, truly loving what you do and enjoying the task to the fullest with focus gives happiness, which is the ultimate goal to look forward to! 

 

Finding it hard to focus in life, maybe some deeper concerns need your attention. Consider taking a professional’s help to improve your well-being! Reach our Mental Health Counselors and Support Executives via the ‘Engage’ and ‘Support’ verticals on our mobile app. We are affordable and available for you!  

Like our content? Please show us some support by sharing and up-voting!

Image Credits: Unsplash