Learning how to induce the flow state can be intimidating at first. Especially when we know that learning how to flow increases productivity and makes us happier.
We have post here all about flow – but for a quick reference, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the man who coined flow defines it as
“Known as being ‘in the zone’, a flow state is a mental state 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. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one’s sense of time.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The Benefits of Flow
This sense of hyper-focus allows you to accomplish more work while also experiencing many secondary benefits.
1. People who Spend More Time in a Flow State are Happier.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says that during flow people are not aware of their emotions because they are too engrossed in the task at hand. After the task is complete, there is a boost in self-esteem. Spending more time in a flow state leads people to seek more opportunities to be in this state of enjoyment. Seeking to constantly be inflow causes a cascade effect of doing more activities that you tend to enjoy. Doing more tasks you enjoy naturally leads you to work towards your goals, spend time with people you enjoy, and learning to be more content throughout your day as you see the progress you are making towards your goals. Getting goals down leads to more overall life satisfaction and happiness.
2. Flow Lets you Cope Better with the Tough Times.
As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” If you feel complacent in all areas of your life, when faced with adversity, it can be jarring and sink your ship of self-esteem if you cannot overcome the challenge. In his research, Csikszentmihalyi found that the more people experienced flow in multiple areas in their life, the better able they were to cope when faced with new challenges. People feel that they can handle these new challenges because they have accomplished other tasks. Being in flow is as much of a mindset as a muscle that can be worked out and trained.
How to Induce Flow State
To achieve the sense of flow, there are a handful of conditions that must be met.
1. The Activity Must Be Intrinsically Rewarding
The activity itself must be something that you enjoy and do for its own reward. For instance, I love the process of getting the coffee ready. From grinding the coffee, getting the pot ready, and brewing the cup – I enjoy the whole process.
2. You Must Have Some Skill in the Task
When you know the task and how to accomplish it – you do not need to refer to guides or take yourself out of the moment to see what you should be doing. By having some mastery over the task you can lose yourself in the task while getting it accomplished.
Don’t worry when you are trying a new activity, you will rarely enter the flow state because you should be stopping and checking you are doing it correctly. After enough practice and repetition, you will find yourself naturally entering the flow state.
3. The Task Must be Active
Learning how to induce a flow state requires that the task itself is something that takes energy, focus, and time. Sitting in front of a TV takes time but doesn’t require focus or energy. However, activities like making coffee or pottery require you to focus on what you are doing, or else you will mess up the process.
The activity should be something that takes effort, which is why it also must be something intrinsically motivating to you in order to learn how to do the task and have the motivation to expend the energy to get it done.
To provide an example of how to build flow into your daily life, I wanted to provide an example that most of us do every day. Making coffee!
Achieving flow does not have to be done while creating the next artistic masterpiece or coding the next best app. Flow can be achieved even in the daily little tasks you do if you know how to cultivate this sense of elegant expertise.
The Espresso Flow Mediation:
- Lay everything out. Get the finely ground coffee, raw brown sugar, and stovetop espresso maker out. Put the desired amount of sugar in a measuring cup for mixing later.
- Fill the bottom compartment of the espresso pot with filtered water, up to just below the screws where you tighten the pot together.
- Fill the middle compartment with the finely ground espresso. I like to use Cafe Bustelo or locally roasted coffee.
- Place the espresso pot on the stovetop with the handle off the heat source. Turn the heat on high until you hear the gurgle. The heating should take about 5 minutes.
- Take the espresso pot off the stovetop and pour the first bit of coffee into the sugar to mix.
- Then place the espresso back on the stovetop for a couple of seconds to complete the brewing process. CAUTION: not too long or the coffee with burn. Remove from the heat source after 10 or so seconds.
- Mix the sugar and the first part of the coffee. Continue to mix vigorously until the sugar turns into a paste.
- Once the coffee and sugar are mixed into the paste, pour in the rest of the coffee. Cascading the coffee into the paste should leave you with a nice layer of espresso foam – just like at the coffee bars!
- Serve the coffee in tiny little espresso cups
- Enjoy the happiness!
Learning how to induce a flow state is all about enjoying the process, learning how to perform it correctly, and expending energy and focus to get the task done successfully.
Main Take-Aways
- Entering a state of flow requires some conditions. Knowing them allows you to see which tasks you can use to enter flow state routinely.
Action Items
What brings you into a state of flow? What kinds of activities can you do each day to practice entering a flow state? For inspiration, look at what you enjoy doing everyday and see if they hit the required conditions for you to enter flow.
