Have you ever found yourself so totally immersed in an activity that you lost all track of time? If you have, then you likely experienced what psychologists refer to as flow state. This week’s Simple Living Sunday post explores this phenomenon and steps you can take to cultivate this kind of engagement and passion.
Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.
Oprah Winfrey
Three simple pleasures and highlights
This was a big week as I celebrated my birthday and my third blogiversary, and I had the week off work for a long-overdue staycation. Here are some highlights of the week.
- On the weekend, my daughters and I went to see Keith Urban in concert in Toronto. He put on an amazing show—playing for two and half hours. The place was buzzing with energy.
- Since I had the week off, I had the opportunity to get out for a couple of long walks on some local trails.
- My mum and I went to visit my daughter Laura at her new apartment. We went out for a nice lunch and then enjoyed a walk by the lake.
This week’s simple living focus: Experiencing a flow state
Flow state is one of the principles of the field of positive psychology. It was pioneered by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and has been around for decades. If you haven’t heard of it, you’re not alone. I first learned about it earlier this year in the coursework for the retirement coaching certification I have been working on.
Let’s explore this concept a little further…
What is flow state?
Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Flow state can best be described as a state of total engagement. You achieve it when you are fully immersed in an activity with no room for distractions. If you think you may have experienced flow state when engaged in a specific activity, ask yourself these questions.
- Do you lose all track of time when involved in this activity?
- Is this an activity you never get tired of doing?
- Do you love to share your passion and energy for this activity with others?
- Would you describe the times when you do this activity as some of the best moments of your life?
If you answered yes to these questions, you may have experienced flow state.
What are the benefits of flow state?
This article from Very Well Mind explains the benefits of flow state. It has been linked to improved ability to regulate emotions, increased happiness, higher intrinsic motivation, and enhanced creativity and performance.
The happiest people spend much time in a state of flow—the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
What kinds of activities are involved?
Personally, the times when I have experienced this type of total engagement have been associated with creative activities like singing with my band, or immersing myself in writing a blog post. Other people experience it when pursuing hobbies they love, playing a sport, learning, or even working.
The neat thing about flow state is anyone can achieve it. It’s not reserved for authors, artists or professional athletes. Let’s look at some ways to get there.
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Three things to do this week
If you’re eager to reap the benefits of flow state, here are some things you can do to make it happen.
Identify a task you’re passionate about
Think about the activities that you enjoy. Is there one that stands out that meets the criteria I mentioned earlier?
It doesn’t matter if you choose singing, dancing, writing, cooking, playing tennis, or running, the important thing is to choose an activity you feel you can fully immerse yourself in.
Add a challenge
To get to flow state, the activity should include an element of challenge. Ideally, it would be just challenging enough, but not too difficult.
For me, the reason I experience flow when practising my music or singing with the band is the added element of needing to focus on remembering lyrics and song structure, and paying attention to all the other musicians—all at the same time.
If you feel like an activity where you experienced flow state in the past isn’t getting you there any more, it may be time to add a new challenge. That’s exactly what I did when I started singing with a band after singing in choirs my entire life.
Eliminate distractions and go for it
Modern life has so many distractions to disrupt our flow and take away from our enjoyment of many activities.
To really get to flow state, eliminate distractions as much as possible. Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted, turn off your phone (or at least silence notifications), and let the flow begin.
My wish for all of you is you find something so engaging that you lose all track of time! That is flow state.
Have you ever experienced flow state? What activity were you doing at the time? Tell me your thoughts below.
First, Happy Belated Birthday! I am so glad you got to enjoy a concert, have some much needed time off, and do things that bring you joy. That’s perfect.
I loved the way you presented this, Michelle. It was a fascinating read! I agree, flow state is critical for our physical and mental wellbeing. We can’t spend our entire lives pushing through things we hate and not expect something bad to happen. We have to have that something in our lives that helps us breathe, unwind, and feel creative.
It made me smile that singing and writing was it for you. Singing and writing are also flow states for me, as well as spending time soaking in the presence of the Lord (through soaking worship). Exercise is another big one, along with those silly simulated farming games, etc. So relaxing.
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve pinned and shared. Much love to you and your family. ❤️. Oh! and congratulations on your 3rd blogiversary too. That’s amazing! You’ve got a gift
Hi Holly, Thanks so much for dropping by and commenting, and for the birthday/blogiversary greetings.
Flow state is a fascinating concept. We all need an escape from the day-to-day grind. I feel bad for people who don’t have anything that gives them that.
I agree that worship is another excellent way to experience flow, although I admit to being very easily distracted from prayer and worship—even when singing in the choir. It’s something for me to work on for sure.
Thanks again!
Happy belated Birthday, Michelle.
I think my running puts me in a flow state. Time goes so quickly when I’m running. 😀
Thank you Rachel. Yes, I think running does that for a lot of people.
Happy birthday, Michelle! And happy third year of blogging!
I learned about flow from a Happiness course I took on Coursera years back. The class was great, and I still remember, and put into practice, what I’ve learned from it (which I think is rare for a class). Teaching my adult education course is what puts me in flow. And writing my blog. It’s why I continue to do it without a large audience. And recently, geocaching!
Thanks Suzanne. Blogging is definitely something where I get so immersed I lose track of time, at the expense of other, less fun things like laundry, housework, …
I get in that state when I’m doing Diamond Art or writing a story, however, I’ve also gotten there while studying my transcriptionist course. That is definitely challenging! (And I need to get back to it!)
It’s interesting to hear about the different activities that get people into flow state. Learning something challenging is definitely one that can make you lose track of time.
Happy, happy birthday and blog anniversary, Michelle! I hope you enjoyed your special day and had a great time. Being in flow state is pure bliss, I find. Doing creative tasks or interacting with the blogging community are two ways to make it happen for me. Thanks for sharing, I believe many people will find this information interesting and start planning their days to include more ‘flow’ inducing activities.
Thank you Vanesssa. Flow state definitely is pure bliss—an opportunity to shut out the world and its troubles and just immerse yourself in something fun.