Flow experiences can provide:
Resilience
Flow
Flow describes the state of being fully immersed in doing an activity associated with enjoyment and energised focus, but with a degree of challenge. This state is associated with complete absorption in the activity and a resultant transformation in the sensation of passage of time.
Benefits of Flow
- Positive emotion
- Reduction in anxiety by providing opportunities for distraction from rumination and other negative emotions
- Job satisfaction
- Increase in self-efficacy through a sense of achievement
- A sense that one is contributing to something beyond oneself
More About Flow
Conditions to achieve a state of flow:
Flow theory suggests that three conditions have to be met to achieve a flow state:
- The activity has a clear set of goals and progress. This provides direction and structure to the task.
- The activity should have clear and immediate feedback. Seeing the outcome of the activity helps you to adjust your performance to maintain the flow state.
- There should be a good balance between the perceived challenges of the activity and your own perceived skills so that you have confidence in your ability to do the activity successfully.
When is flow most likely to occur?
The experience of flow can be found in our personal lives and, for some, in their work. It is more likely to occur when:
- You are doing something that requires concentration
- You know what to do and how to do it
- Our sense of self vanishes
- There is deep effortless involvement
- There is a sense of control
- There are fewer distractions
Examples of when you might experience flow include:
- Work
- Sport
- Hobby
- Craft
- Playing a musical instrument
- Meditation
- Video gaming
Passive activities like watching TV do not elicit flow experiences.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Model
Diagram: Cskiszentmihalyi’s Flow Model
The diagram above demonstrates Cskiszentmihalyi’s Flow Model of mental state in terms of challenge and skill level. The centre point is an individual’s average level (everyone is different).
Flow is achieved where skill level and challenge levels are high to achieve an optimal balance. A high challenge level and lower skill level leads to anxiety. A higher skill level with a lower challenge level can provide relaxation. This is beneficial and applies to things like reading an interesting book or watching an engrossing movie. Low skill level andlow challenge level leads to boredom and disengagement from the task.
Impacts on:
- Work
- Life satisfaction
- Meaning and purpose
- Positive Emotions
- Self-efficacy and mastery
Strategies to Improve Flow
1. Flow in your personal life.
Brainstorm (using the list above) some options that appeal to you, and are feasible given your circumstances, in terms of finding a hobby, activity or interest that might provide flow. Give it a trial for a month or two to create a new habit and evaluate for benefits and enjoyment.
2. Flow at work.
For many of us, our work can provide times of flow. One block to this are frequent interruptions which create a temporary shift in attention. These shifts in attention can lead to increasing the time taken to complete a task by up to 25%. So, to optimise the opportunities for flow, try the following:
- Block time for deep work: Reserve one or two hours in your calendar each day for focused time. Turnoff email notifications and chats and put your phone in a drawer so that you will not be distracted.
- Consider doing this early in your day whilst you are still fresh.
- Chunk email checking into 2 timeslots in your day rather than reading and responding to them immediately after each notification
Resources
McKinsey Quarterly, 2021 "How to turn everyday stress into 'optimal stress' "
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