How to enter the flow state

Features of the concept

Mihai Csikszentmihalyi described the term and its concept in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. He says that the name “flow” was suggested to him by the subjects themselves when they described their experience as the moment when they did something the best: “it’s like going with the flow” and “I was carried by the current.”

The state of flow is achieved in situations where a person can freely direct attention to achieving their goals, because they do not need to deal with internal disorder and defend themselves from any threats. In other words, this state is the opposite of mental entropy — confusion in consciousness, confusion of attention. And those who are able to experience it, as the scientist notes, are distinguished by greater strength and self-confidence, since they can direct more mental energy to achieve their goals.

The psychologist considers attention precisely as mental energy: without attention, no work is possible, and in the process of work it is wasted. How a person spends his attention, what feelings, thoughts, and memories he passes into consciousness, determines his personal development. Psychic energy is subject to a person, and it, in turn, can make him whoever he wants. Therefore, attention is the most important tool in improving the quality of experience.

Mihai Csikszentmihalyi believes that if a person can organize his consciousness in such a way that the flow state occurs as often as possible, the quality of his life will certainly begin to improve, even the most boring activities will gain meaning and begin to bring joy. In fact, he needs to learn how to fight entropy — to fight for himself, to establish control over attention. And the result of this battle, the scientist writes, will be the greatest joy from high self-discipline and concentration.

To better understand this phenomenon, the psychologist describes a specific example of one of the study participants named Rico Medellin. He worked on the factory’s assembly line and performed the same task day after day, which took exactly 43 seconds and was repeated almost 600 times throughout the day. This kind of work might seem boring and tedious to many, but for Rico it was a source of joy and pleasure. The thing is, he treated her like a competition with himself: he was constantly trying to beat his own record. Every day he worked to get this little operation done faster and faster on the assembly line. After five years of training, the time was 28 seconds per detail. However, he knows that very soon he will reach his limit in this business, after which it will become impossible to work, so he takes courses in order to apply for more difficult work in the future, which will allow him to improve further.

The state of flow, emphasizes Csikszentmihalyi, is important not only because it brings pleasure from the present, but also because it strengthens a person’s self-confidence, which encourages him to master new skills and achieve achievements for the benefit of all mankind.

It is not so easy to achieve a flow state, but understanding this phenomenon can help change your life: bring more harmony to it and release mental energy that is usually wasted on boredom or anxiety.

Flow and personal growth

Mihai Csikszentmihalyi writes that as a result of experiencing the flow, a person becomes more differentiated, because overcoming obstacles inevitably makes a person more capable and skillful. After each step of self-improvement, a person acquires more and more vivid individual features, becomes less predictable, and learns new skills.

At the level of the deepest concentration, which accompanies the experience of flow, consciousness becomes extremely orderly. Thoughts, intentions, feelings are all focused on the same goal. Harmony comes, unity with oneself, all people and the world as a whole. Consciousness becomes more complex in the flow, and personal growth occurs with it. But in what way? The following diagram will clarify this.

Fig. 1. How the complexity of consciousness increases as a result of experiencing the flow

Let’s imagine that a certain boy Sasha learns to play tennis. In the diagram (Fig. 1), it is indicated by numbers in four points. At the time of the start of training (1), he has practically no skills, he only needs to hit the ball. In general, it’s not difficult, Sasha succeeds, and he trains with great pleasure. At this level, the difficulty of the task corresponds to his basic skills, so he will probably experience a sense of flow.

However, very soon he gets bored from monotonous activities (2). In order to study further, he finds a partner for the game, and at this moment new and more difficult tasks appear than just hitting the ball. Then Sasha begins to worry that he is not coping well with the situation (3).

Since neither boredom nor fear are pleasant states, Sasha wants to relive the flow state. For condition No. 2, there is only one way out — to increase the complexity of the tasks performed. Gradually improving his skills, he eventually defeats the opponent, overcomes fear (3) and enters the stream (4).

Streaming state No. 4 is more advanced than No. 1, as it requires more skill from the player. However, it is also not stable. If Sasha continues to play at the same level, sooner or later he will face boredom again due to the loss of novelty or anxiety about realizing his relatively small capabilities. The desire to improve himself and get the cherished joy and pleasure can push him back into the stream, which will already be above state No. 4.

In the following diagram (Fig. 2), Mihai Csikszentmihalyi, based on his research, summarized all the basic feelings and states that must be experienced in order to enter the flow.

Fig. 2

What does it take to get into the flow, or How to cheat the chaos?

A person who knows how to transform a situation into a streaming activity, according to Mihai Csikszentmihalyi, has the following qualities::

1. Egocentric self-confidence. Such people are united by the unconditional belief that their fate is in their hands. Their energy, as a rule, is not aimed at subjugating the world around them, but at functioning harmoniously in it. This attitude arises when a person stops opposing himself to the world, as does someone who insists on the primary importance of his goals and intentions.
2. Focus on the outside world. While attention is directed inward and psychic energy is absorbed by various worries and aspirations of the ego, it is quite difficult for a person to notice his surroundings. People who can transform stress into joy spend very little time thinking about themselves. They don’t expend energy on satisfying what they consider their needs or worrying about socially conditioned desires. But they are always on the alert, closely monitoring what is happening around them.
3. Discovery of new solutions. There are two main ways to deal with a situation that creates entropy. The first is to focus on the obstacles that hinder the achievement of goals and eliminate them, thus restoring harmony in consciousness. It can be called a “direct approach”. The second way involves focusing on the situation as a whole, including oneself, thinking about whether it is possible to set other, more appropriate goals, and find new solutions. But in order for such a transformation to be possible, a person must be prepared to accept unexpected opportunities. Most people adhere to rigid stereotypes set by genetic programs and the social environment, and therefore do not notice the opportunity to choose a different course.

Thanks to the following rules, which the psychologist cites in his book, it is possible to develop the qualities of such a personality that will be directly related to the flow model:

1. Set goals. The flow state occurs when the subject has clear goals.
2. Fully immerse yourself in the activity. In order to immerse oneself in the flow, a person gives himself up to his occupation with full involvement. He needs to learn to feel the balance between opportunities for action and existing skills.
3. Pay attention to what is happening. High concentration creates a sense of inclusion that can be maintained through constant investment of attention. A boxer, for example, runs the risk of being knocked out if he misses an opponent’s punch.
4. Learn to enjoy momentary experiences. Having learned how to set goals, develop skills, track feedback, concentrate and get involved in what is happening, a person will always be able to enjoy life.

However, in order to develop the ability to control oneself, perseverance and discipline are required, writes Csikszentmihalyi. To transform random events into a flow, you need to develop your abilities and surpass yourself. Flow awakens creativity in a person, helps to achieve outstanding results. In the final order, the energy that drives evolution is born, thus paving the way for the descendants who will soon replace this generation.

Note

Mihai Csikszentmihalyi (b. 1934) is one of the most recognized and respected psychologists in the world. In his youth, he emigrated to the United States from Europe, where he was born and raised, and after graduating from the University of Chicago, he is engaged in research that brought him worldwide fame. Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Quality of Life Research at Claremont University (USA), member of the American Academy of Education, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Leisure Studies, author of about 20 books, the most famous of which is “Stream”, translated into 30 languages.

Photo: psychbook.ru