For me, gardening is tremendously enjoyable, hours can fly by as I dig, plant, weed and water a garden. I don’t have a garden anymore, but I work in my daughters’ garden every weekend, when the weather allows. I become energized, everything seems effortless, and time seems to stand still. I forget about my sore knees and my stiff back—I’m pain-free and unstoppable. There’s an explanation for the way I feel. It’s called, ‘being in the flow’, and nothing gets me more ‘in the flow’ than working with plants in the fresh air.
Usually, when we talk about this feeling, we are talking about work. But you can be in a state of flow while doing almost anything, cooking, painting a picture, cleaning your house, or gardening. I don’t have a garden anymore, but I garden at my daughters’ house, and nothing gets me more ‘in the flow’ than working with plants.
What is flow?
In positive psychology, a flow state, is also known as being ‘in the zone’, a mental state in which a person performing some activity is immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
It is a mental state that requires a high level of concentration and yet is effortless. It is the melting together of action and consciousness; the state of finding a balance between a skill and the challenge it presents.
In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one’s sense of time. When people are in the flow state, they lose the sense of time, and in effect, times seems to stand still.
Named by the psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1970, the concept of flow has been widely referred to across a variety of fields though the concept has been claimed to have existed for thousands of years under other names.
Everybody knows the feeling of being in a flow state. You seem unstoppable, everything seems to be going naturally and time is irrelevant. You started working at 4 pm but after a quick look at your watch you realize it’s getting more closer to 4 am now — the next day. If you recognize yourself in this, you might be familiar with the concept of ‘getting into the flow’: achieving a state of mind in which everything seems possible.
“Even without success, creative persons find joy in a job well done. Learning for its own sake is rewarding.” — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi from Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery & Invention, 1996.
Csikszentmihalyi is best-known for his theory of flow, which he outlined in his 1990 book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.
“People are happy when they are in a state of flow, a type of intrinsic motivation that involves being fully focused on the situation or task.” He describes flow as “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.”
Flow experiences can occur in different ways for different people. This state is often associated with the creative arts, such as painting, drawing, or writing. However, it can also occur while engaging in an activity such as skiing, tennis, soccer, dancing, or running.
According to Csikszentmihalyi, there are ten factors that accompany the experience of flow. While many of these components may be present, it is not necessary to experience all of them for flow to occur.
- The activity is intrinsically rewarding.
- There are clear goals that, while challenging, are still attainable.
- There is a complete focus on the activity itself.
- There are clear goals that, while challenging, are still attainable.
- People experience feelings of personal control over the situation and the outcome.
- People have feelings of serenity and a loss of self-consciousness.
- There is immediate feedback.
- People experience a lack of awareness of their physical needs.
- There is strong concentration and focused attention.
- People experience timelessness, or a distorted sense of time, that involves feeling so focused on the present that you lose track of time passing.
How to do it:
It takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes of focused attention to reach a flow state. Once in flow, it may last from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. However, it is possible to achieve flow more than once a day, given the right conditions.
So, what can you do to increase your chances of achieving flow? Here are some strategies you can use to help set the stage for entering a flow state.
Set Clear Goals
In his book, *Csikszentmihalyi explains that flow is likely to occur when an individual is faced with a task, such as a game of chess, that has clear goals that require specific responses.
Eliminate Distractions
It’s more difficult to experience flow if there are things in your environment competing for your attention. Try reducing distractions so you can fully focus on the task at hand. You might wear noise-canceling headphones, turn off or put away your phone, and so on.
Add an Element of Challenge
“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,” Csikszentmihalyi explains. “If challenges are too low, one gets back to flow by increasing them. If challenges are too great, one can return to the flow state by learning new skills.”
Practice Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation and mindfulness may help you get into a flow state more readily. Mindfulness involves becoming more attuned to the present moment.
Choose a Pursuit You Enjoy
You aren’t likely to achieve flow if you are doing something you truly dislike. Focus on trying to achieve flow while working on something you love. People often perform better when they are enjoying an activity.
It is important to remember that flow is a dynamic and ever-changing state. As your skill levels increase, you will need to continue to adjust the level of challenge that is needed to help initiate a state of flow.
How can you get into a flow state?
Flow states often occur when a person is highly interested in what they are working on, but there are things that need to be in place to experience flow. Doing something you love, adding a little bit of a challenge, and minimizing the distractions around you can all help you achieve it.
When I was in university in the 1970s, we talked about peak experiences. Although I don’t hear that term being used now, it sounds similar to a state of flow.
We all recall times when we felt on top of the world, when everything seemed to go our way. These experiences reverberate through our memories and reflect the significant events of our lives. We are happier today for the times we experienced being in the flow state. And we will never forget them.
*Csikszentmihalyi is pronounced chik-sent-mee-hai-ee
It sounds like what we also call “being in the zone.”
That was a familiar term we used in the 70s, if I remember correctly. Anneli. I think it was part of the popular slang of the day. Those were good times!
Yes, they were, and I’ve just dated myself.
“Do what you love, the money will come..” was the title of a book published in the 60s.. I believe that!
Yes, Peter, I remember the book. Ahhh, the 60s—a time of unparcelled optimism!
unapparelled. Google keeps correcting me!
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