Have you ever been so immersed in something, the world seemed to disappear from around you, and time lost its meaning? Perhaps you even forgot to eat or go to the bathroom during that time, because you were on such a high. Sounds familiar? Chances are you experienced what it is like to find your flow.
One activity that almost without fail sets me in a state of flow is horse riding. When I walk through those barn doors and meet the gaze of a certain pair of large, warm brown eyes, I’m swallowed right back into the world of flow. How I interact with my horse, brush, and tack him up, happens so naturally. Though, the true magic happens in the arena.
After our initial warm-up, for the following 40 minutes or so, we become one. His four majestic legs become part of my body. Our minds completely present in the moment, we dance to the synchronized rhythm of our heartbeat second after second, minute after minute. The other riders fade away and the arena walls fall down and disappear. It is just us, in our very own bubble practicing intricate dressage movements on a plain of blissful light, where nothing else matters.
So, what is flow?
Hungarian-American scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says you have reached a flow state when your “concentration is so intense that no attention is left over to think about anything irrelevant or to worry about problems. Self-consciousness disappears, and the sense of time becomes distorted.”
When in flow, you glide smoothly over any task at hand, reach new levels of productivity, and experience a euphoric feeling. For example, writing in flow feels as though the words pour out of me. I merely have to move my fingers across the keyboard and the letters fall into place forming entire sentences and paragraphs.
The benefits of finding your flow
Flow helps you get things done – whilst feeling amazing.
When we enter the trance-like state of flow, our mind becomes clear from any distractions or troubling thoughts that may bother us otherwise. As I collect my reins, the job rejection from earlier in the day, and the stress of tomorrow lose their meaning. From that moment on my mind is completely still.
Apart from just feeling like magic, and allowing us to be more creative, finding your flow has proven to be especially beneficial during the current pandemic. A recent study suggests that engaging in flow-inducing activities may help us to deal better with long-periods of self-isolation and quarantine. Flow offers the perfect distraction in these situations. When we immerse ourselves in an activity, time seems to pass more quickly, and the less we preoccupy and worry ourselves about things beyond our control.
So, the next time when you feel like giving your mind some respite try entering an uninterrupted state of flow. There are ways you can trigger your flow without having to wait to get lucky.
How to find your flow state
At university, I would leave my assignments to the night before, because I knew I had to get it done then and there, or else face the consequences. For the duration of an all-nighter, I felt invincible tapping away on my Macbook’s keyboard whilst I scoured the Internet for relevant research and sources to back up my argument. After twelve hours of fervent typing, and a few existential crises, I would submit my assignment confirming that, indeed, diamonds are made under pressure (don’t take my uni advice).
Although a looming deadline is one of my keys to entering a state of flow, I hope yours are not as stressful. When was the last time you felt so absorbed by a task, it felt as though you ventured from our current reality? What were you doing? Where were you? Reflect on these questions to tap into your flow.
I recommend compiling a list of activities and scenarios, that help you find your flow for whenever you need a little extra kick. Some of my go-to flow-inducing activities are:
- Playing ambient music/sound waves (you know those that last for 8 hours)
- Listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack
- Taking a few deep breaths to focus my mind
- Setting a timer for 5 minutes to get into the work
- Clearing a clutter-free workspace
- Removing all distractions from around me (notifications, phone, etc.)
For someone who has an easily overstimulated mind, knowing how to hack into my state of flow has been life-changing. Even just a momentary pause from all the mental activity can do wonders for our mental well-being. Immersing yourself in flow often feels like a chance for your mind to rest, whilst being highly productive at the same time. Aka a very weird, yet welcome, juxtaposition.
Have you found your flow state?
A marketing professional in tech by day, Lilli finds a creative release in exploring and writing about her perfectly imperfect human experience on muija. With heart and soul, she is learning how to navigate this life, and in sharing her stories Lilli hopes to inspire others to follow their curiosity, too.
