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It’s time to tackle that piece of work you’ve been putting off.
You’re sitting at your desk, shaking your leg, and waiting for any sense of focus to finally kick in. “It takes 23 minutes to fully focus on a task,” they say. So what should you do for the next 20 minutes?
Have you ever heard someone say, “You gotta get into the flow”?
What’s This “Flow”?
Right now, you are doing your work. But you’d rather be doing something else.
You’re a bit distracted by that bag of chips there, you’ve managed to notice a chip in the wall paint, and you’re counting how many shakes per minute your leg does.
But you continue doing your work, and slowly, 10 minutes pass by, and you start getting into the groove. Then 20 minutes pass by and you’re not shaking your leg anymore.
You start losing track of time, and you start to gain focus.
Quickly, another 10 minutes zoom by, and you’re inspired to do more and achieve better results. By the time the next 10 minutes are up, you feel unstoppable and you feel amazing.
Your mind is clear, your blood is coursing through your veins, and your work looks amazing! And that bag of chips next to you? You don’t want it anymore!
That’s when you’re in a state of flow.
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So… What’s This Flow About?
‘The Flow’ was popularised by psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura.
It’s a state where your body and mind are completely absorbed and you’re in a state of deep focus.
Nothing could distract you.
Any distractions that would normally preoccupy your mind any other time, like aches and pains or hunger, wouldn’t even be on your mind. You might not even feel the need to use the bathroom!
Benefits of Being in the Flow
Increased Productivity
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You perform at peak performance when you’re in the flow. When you’re working and nothing can distract you at all, what else is there but your work to do? Hence, productivity increases.
Increased Satisfaction
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Your satisfaction with your work will increase since all of your attention and intention were put into it. Mentally, it’s not just your work’s quality you’re proud of, but the fact that you had put in so much effort and dedication into the piece of work too.
In education, besides increased productivity, you’ll experience better absorption and retention of the materials. You’d also feel a deeper sense of motivation to do better than you already are and heightened problem-solving abilities.
During sports, your performance increases, and you’ll enjoy the sport much more too.
During involvement in art, your creativity is boosted, and you’ll be more immersed in your work. Thanks to that, you’ll be able to express yourself better, as it will be easier to tap into your emotions. You’ll complete your piece feeling more satisfied with both you and your art piece.
How to Get Into the State
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To get into a state of flow, rid your environment of distractions to help you focus and get into the state quicker. Turn your phone off, and make sure you’re working at a time that you know your brain works well.
If you’re a night owl, don’t be embarrassed working into the wee hours if that’s what works well for you. If you’re an early worm, wake up earlier to do your work.
Following a ritual could help your mind and body know what to expect, thus kicking the flow in quicker.
Have some tea and meditate on your goals first, or anything that would usually clear your mind.
Intentionally engage in the right amount of challenge to make your task more engaging. This will bring the state of flow quicker.
For example, chopping an onion is easy, but chopping onions blindfolded forces you to rely on your senses, thus bringing you into a state of flow.
Conclusion
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Being in a state of flow greatly benefits anyone in any situation.
It can be a transformative experience when you discover that your abilities exceed your expectations and know no bounds.
This could give a newfound sense of inspiration and rejuvenation.
So if you feel your body entering the state of flow, embrace it!
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