Life in the FLOW Lane
by Charlotte Ebie
What if there was a way you could intentionally rearrange your mind in order to access: increased inspiration, insight, wisdom, and solutions. What if you could increase motivation and productivity by 500%, creativity by 400-700%, and learning and memory by over 200%. What’s the secret to this exceptional performance? It is known as being the “flow state”, or sometimes called “being in the zone.”
Flow is a state of mind in which you are so deeply involved with an activity or life experience that fears, doubts, and indecision are no longer experienced. Flow refers to being in a state of hyper focus, a magical feeling of supreme confidence when everything clicks. It’s a feeling of optimal experience. It’s the best version of yourself, a heightened state of consciousness. There is such a complete absorption in what you are doing that you experience accelerated results, faster learning, inspiration, and such enjoyment of the process, that there even seems to be a transformation of your sense of time. In the state of flow, the journey and the destination truly become one.
It was psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who first recognized and named the concept of flow. It was he who said that people who learn to control their inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives. Honor the present moment and life flows with joy and ease.
There are several identified elements of a flow state:
- A set goal, intention, or vision is required in order to reach the state. There needs to be a clear sense of purpose.
- The task being performed needs to provide immediate feedback. This produces the nuances, insights, and ideas that lead to optimization of the task.
- There needs to be a good balance between challenge and skill, a harmony between the two. The performer needs to have confidence that they possess the skills required to complete the challenge.
- There is a point where action and awareness become one. This might involve intuitive motion and decision making, an acceleration of ideas, or perhaps even quantum leaps in thinking.
- In a state of flow, distractions seem to be excluded from consciousness. Fear, doubt, and indecisiveness fade away.
- Time often appears distorted, sometimes seeming to speed up, at other times seeming to slow down.
- Once in a state of flow, the activity and the person can become autotelic. The term autotelic is taken from two Greek words, auto meaning self, and telos meaning goal. It means “one with,” or “in the flow.” It implies having a sense of purpose that is internally derived, doing something for its own sake rather than being externally focused on rewards, fame, money, or power.
Flow can be the pinnacle of achievement for an athlete, a musician, a writer, a gamer, or basically any task of performance. It creates a mental state in which a person performs with supreme awareness and is perfectly synchronized. So how does one enter this magical state? The good news is that there are proven steps that enhance our ability to enter and maintain this ideal state of mind called flow. We are essentially talking about hacking the flow state.
The first step, as previously mentioned, is having a clear intention. What is our goal or vision? What is our sense of purpose?
Secondly, we need to have a good balance between skill vs challenge. For instance, a combination of a strong challenge and a low skill level will result in a state of anxiety instead of flow. A low-level challenge in the face of a low skill set may result in boredom or apathy. When there exists a good balance between the degree of challenge and the degree of skill, the flow state is generated. So, based on the upcoming task or project, we may want to focus on enhancing a needed skill set.
It is critically important to try to remove distractions, both external and internal. This can include blocking out uninterrupted time on our schedule, muting the phone, and getting chores and responsibilities taken care of before starting. Probably most important is removing self from the distractions of texting and social media. We need to address internal distractions also. Fear, worry, self-criticism, and lack of self-esteem can put us into a state of resistance, procrastination, or paralysis instead of the flow state.
Recent scientific studies have shown there is a basic biology involved in reaching the flow state. There are 5 key neurochemicals that can be measured upon reaching this state.
- Dopamine sharpens focus and helps filter useful information. It is responsible for feelings of engagement, excitement, and desire for exploration.
- Norepinephrine helps us maintain focus and boosts performance.
- Anandamide boosts our creative thinking and helps us make unique decisions.
- Endorphins help us push our limits physically, ignoring feelings of discomfort, helping us feel generally more positive.
- Serotonin helps us feel more focused, less anxious, and emotionally stable.
Together, these neurochemicals create the perfect mix to reach peak performance, and we can help our brains release them by adhering to certain daily activities and routines.
The first thing we want to incorporate is a daily practice of meditation. Meditation improves dopamine and serotonin output which primes our focus and creates a practice of getting our mind into the present moment, resistant to distraction.
The second daily practice to incorporate is movement. General exercise increases dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Intense exercise for an extended time increases endorphins and anandamide.
Thirdly, we have to remember that while both meditation and exercise are essential, our body needs proper building blocks in order to produce these neurochemicals in the first place. Therefore, good nutrition is essential. It is always best to eliminate sugar and processed foods as much as possible. Studies have shown that protein raises levels of amino acids in the body that assist the brain in creating norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. And, believe it or not, dark chocolate with a cacao content of over 70% boosts endorphin levels while simultaneously preventing the breakdown of anandamide.
I personally try to maintain a regular daily practice that includes; meditation, movement, and good nutrition. I find it most helpful to maintain a regular morning routine. I like to start each day by reminding myself of my highest intention, vision, and goals for the day. I remind myself that I will try to remain “in the flow” throughout the day. After a little stretching and movement, I try to go outdoors for a few minutes of morning light exposure which increases serotonin and sets the circadian rhythm. There I do some deep breathing exercises, affirmations, and meditation. Now it’s time for coffee and a start to the day!
I seem to get my greatest satisfaction of being in the flow state while working on special projects, such as writing. The task is defined, the intention set, time is blocked off, and distractions deliberately avoided. I love the feeling of being fully immersed in the project with an energized focus, resulting in a sense of transformation of time. It is then that the enjoyment of the process completely matches the satisfaction of the end achievement.
Of course, flow is not just for special projects. We go in and out of flow throughout the day, depending upon the task at hand. We can encounter it in unexpected tasks, as well as pre-planned projects scheduled on the calendar.
I don’t believe that the state of flow is only a daily occurrence either. I still get a sense of amazement when I think back a few years. The company I was working for was completely shutting down, and I had to make a decision on what I would do next. One weekend, I visited a new store I’d heard about, a specialty backyard bird feeding hobby store. When I walked in, it took my breath away. It was completely filled with bird feeders, houses, baths, field guides, binoculars, and many gift items all related to nature. Bird watching was my #1 hobby and I loved nature. I held a BS in Conservation, had recently gotten a master’s degree in business, and had often thought of having my own business. My first thought upon entering that store was, “I want this. I can do this.” I timidly approached the clerk, asking her advise on how to start such a business. To my amazement, she answered, “Oh, you need to talk to our franchise department.” The rest is history. Six months to the day after entering that store, I opened my own. This involved buying the franchise, completing the training program, selling my home, moving to another state, procuring a retail store location, writing a business plan, securing a bank loan, painting, carpeting, procuring fixtures, ordering merchandise, advertising, hiring and much, much more. How did I ever accomplish so much in a mere 6 months? The only answer lies in being in the state of flow.
I can take no personal credit for the motivation and productivity which allowed me to accomplish this project in such a short time. The secret to the ease of performance lies in the inspiration, insight, wisdom, and solutions that came from being in the state of flow.
You too can tap into the mastery that lies with. You can hack the state of flow. Set a clear vision, intension, goals. Optimize your skill set. Eliminate distractions. Optimize your daily routine. Now you’re ready for life in the FLOW lane.