"I lost all track of time!"
"I don't know where the time went."
Have you ever said this? What were you doing?
Chances are you were in what is called a "flow state".
Chances are you were in what is called a "flow state".
Click here for updates regarding the launch of my upcoming book: Flow State: Finding Your Groove.
I lose track of time and things going on around me while writing, reading, researching, and dancing. My daughters both get absorbed in baking. My son used to lose track of time playing with matchbox cars, now he gets lost in searching Facebook Marketplace for used cars.
Many creative professions require a level of flow to be successful. An artist friend of mine, Jessica, says that if she doesn't get in that state, it feels forced and her art doesn't turn out like she wants it to.
A dance fitness studio owner, Laney, does her best choreography when she is in a flow state.
My middle child who just started welding classes has found herself in flow while welding.
My middle child who just started welding classes has found herself in flow while welding.
What is flow? Verywellmind.com defines it as "a state of mind in which a person becomes fully immersed in an activity." Some call it hyperfocus, which has an unnecessarily negative connotation.
Living in the moment is part of the joy experienced while in flow state. You can be fully present, senses are heightened, and everything else falls away. The experience allows you to improve upon skills and do your best work.
Getting into that state requires a bit of prep work.
Three things you can do to help are:
Three things you can do to help are:
1 - Set clear goals. You should have a roadmap of sorts so you don't have to stop and redirect the project. You already know where you're going.
2 - Eliminate distractions. Distractions are annoying if you are on a roll. They force you to stop and start and you can "fall out" of the zone.
3 - Add an element of challenge. If an activity is too easy, your movements can be rote, routine, and unimportant. Daydreaming, zoning out, and thinking of other things is different than being in a state of flow, where your attention is directly focused on the singular activity.
For more on how to achieve flow and why it's amazing for work and creative endeavors, not to mention contentment and general joyfulness, keep an eye out for my upcoming book: Flow State: Finding Your Groove. Click here to get updates regarding the book launch.
