How To Get "In Flow"

Have you ever had that feeling of going through a difficult task with complete ease?   

Or, upon completion of a project you realized that having been entirely engulfed in the process, you lost track of time and were “in the zone”?  Well, this is what is known as “flow”.

As stated in Wikipedia, “Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.” 

Flow is a word that is often used in the personal development/ personal growth worlds, sports, art, music, or when doing pretty much anything that involves full attention or creativity.  It is a state that people strive to achieve without, many times, completely understanding what it is. 

So, what would someone experience being in flow?

• Heightened energy and control
• Being completely “present”
• Full focus, clarity, and concentration
• No concept of time or space
• Productivity 
• Creativity
• Happiness

Wow, who wouldn’t want to feel like like?!  It’s almost as if the world moves to assist the completion of a task in an effortless and enjoyable way!  

How to achieve flow in your life

Now that we have discussed what flow is and what being in flow looks like, let’s talk about how to make it a part of daily life.  Know that getting in flow takes a deep level of concentration, so these helpful tips will have to be practiced. 

Tip 1: Choose a challenging task- When choosing a task, allow your mind to be challenged. Being challenged is that place in between ease and overwhelm.  You don’t want your mind to be taken over by discouragement due to difficulty, or boredom because of ease.  The point is to choose a task that requires concentration and focus so to encourage flow.

Tip 2:  Commit to the completion of the task- After choosing a task at the appropriate challenge level, commit to it’s completion. Only you have the power to commit and complete.  Dedicate your mind and focus to do what you set out to do.

Tip 3:  Give yourself space and time- Only you know when and where you are the most productive and your energy is the highest.  My times are in the mornings, and my place is a local library. I LOVE the peaceful feeling I have when I sit next to the floor-to-ceiling windows in solitude.  I wake up with a clear mind, meditate, go to the library and begin a task. When I am in this frame of mind and have the feeling of calm and peace, inspiration and flow comes very easily! My worst times are right before lunch or right when I get home from work.  What about you? When and where do you have the highest levels of focus and concentration?

Tip 4: Remove distractions:  When obtaining flow, one needs optimal levels of focus and concentration.  Anything that may distract you from the task at hand needs to be temporarily removed.  This includes cell phones, email pop ups or alerts, television, clutter (mental and physical), to-do lists, and music (unless it helps you concentrate).  The point is to “get in the zone” and “lose yourself” in your concentration.  

Tip 5:  Become aware:  When overtaken by flow and your challenging task is completed,  sit back and become aware of the experience.  Are there moments you have forgotten? If you were writing, did you reread your piece and think “Man, this is really good!” without remembering how you put it all together? Same with a project, or art work, or even cleaning!  Try to be consciously aware of how the task was completed.

Tip 6:  Praise yourself:  Allow yourself to take that big sigh, and tell yourself that you are a genius! Sit back and really soak up the feeling of productivity and accomplishment!