However, experts on flow states tell us that you need to be focused on one thing at a time if you're going to get into the most productive headspace. Modern society encourages us to multitask, telling us that everything is urgent and that we can only be our best selves if we're replying to emails at the same time as completing a report and talking to a colleague. This Is because of the phenomenon of “attention residue” – in other words, your mind partly stays with your previous task. This step is well worth it – research on flow states indicates you need at least 25 minutes to get back into a flow state after you're interrupted. In addition, if you find your mind is always busy, try writing a daily journal article earlier in the time to clear your head. Next, regarding internal distractions, mindfulness or breathing exercises can help prepare you for a flow state. Meanwhile, on your laptop or tablet, close all the windows that are unrelated to your current project, and remove anything distracting around you (e.g., photographs, bills, to-do lists, and so on). Studies show that to get into a flow state, you have to stop all distractions – both external and internal.įirstly, regarding external distractions, it's smart to put your phone in another room and turn it off or keep it on silent. Make sure that this is a real break, where you meditate, read a book, or just sit in peace. However, if you aren't a morning person, try to find a time after you've had a break or a rest – a time when you've recharged your energy. The standard starting recommendation is to try getting into a flow state in the morning when you're rested. Otherwise, your attempt to get into a flow is likely to fail. What you're looking for here is a time when you have high levels of energy and willpower. There isn't one answer to this question – it depends on your unique biological rhythm, as well as your lifestyle. Work Out Your Bodies Peak TimeĪ vital first step is figuring out what's the best time to try and enter a flow state. You'll get the very best results when you use all four triggers at once, but when you're just starting out you might want to experiment with one trigger at a time so that you can perfect the associated skill. We're going to discuss four major triggers, along with how you can use them to your advantage and what you can expect to achieve. Now that you know what a flow state involves, and how it's linked to your happiness, let's consider how you get in the flow when you want to. So, examples of peak happiness often overlap with being in a flow state.Īnd these experiences are much more likely to involve moments of focused work and achievement than they are to involve passively receiving something good. However, recent work by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly proves that the best time of your life is much more likely to be a time when you felt challenged and stretched to do something incredibly worthwhile. When asked to think about what it means to be in a happy state, lots of people talk about relaxation and a sense of having no commitments. The good news is that even if you rarely feel like you're in this state, you can learn use to help you get you into a flow – you just have to learn your triggers. You don't need to push away distractions or force yourself to concentrate – you get “flow” through your work. It's a state that comes with confidence, and a sense of total devotion to whatever you're doing at that precise moment. Psychologists tell us that it's a mental state in which you feel excited, energized, and totally focused on a task. Let's begin with the most basic question: We'll explain four major things you need to do, before closing with advice on how you can use your flow state activation skills to get what you want out of life. We'll begin by looking at the basic psychological research on flow states, and by looking at some helpful examples.įrom there, we'll turn to how you can get into your own flow state. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of getting into a flow state.
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