Concept of Flow and its Application in Personal and Professional Lives

Human beings are dependent on external situations and social environment for seeking pleasure. However, irrespective of external situations, one should develop ability to remain joyful .This happens only when we work upon self. Our ability to regulate attention at will is the most important tool to improve the quality of experience of our professional and personal lives. Once we regulate our attention, we can experience deep sense of enjoyment and find flow in our activities.

Flow, according to American Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it at even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it. The elements of flow according to Csikszentmihalyi are :

Elements of Flow Example

1. A challenging activity that requires matching skills Rock climbing requires attention and skill to concentrate .
2. Mind is not wandering but immersed in the challenging activity Rock climber is fully involved in climbing so mind is not somewhere else and is in relaxed state.
3. Clear goals and immediate feedback is received in flow A rock climber gets feedback at every step that he is climbing without fall
4. Activity demands concentration on the task. The worries of life/personal problems set aside as the climbing demands concentration at the moment
5. A Sense of control over activity By minimizing the risks he has a sense of control of possible dangers of climbing
6. There is loss of consciousness of self . By facing constant challenge and use of skills, rock climber unites himself with the activity so there is feeling of union with environment
7. Transformation of time happens. During climbing ,climber may feel that time passed much faster.

In fact every routine activity can bring flow provided we incorporate seven important elements of flow in it. The article discusses different ways of improving flow in such activities:

How to find Flow in our Daily Lives?

Relaxing times are best times to stay happy. This is a popular myth. Instead activities that demand our attention can bring flow or deep sense of enjoyment. In such activities we are challenged to improve our skills .So they help us to immerse in that moment with clear feedback and goals. Though biological pleasures of sleep, food, security, sex are important for quality of life but these activities do not produce psychological growth. Thus, they are devoid of deep sense of enjoyment. In fact, most of our popular leisure activities (consumption of Mass Media/Social Media) require our passive attention. They may seem to give pleasure but they make us more exhausted and miserable. The design of most of such type of pleasure activities are designed to make money for someone. Instead human civilizations have found several activities such as challenging work conditions (hunting), running, walking, yoga to find flow in lives. In modern times reading, writing cooking, pursuing science, history, poetry, philosophy, gardening, home décor are few examples to bring flow in our lives.

Actionable Points

1. Minimize social media use as they consume our passive attention. On a personal note I have not used Facebook for almost a year and utilized my time in few of the activities mentioned above.
2. Minimize TV watching. On a personal note I have reduced TV watching to less than an hour per week and have stayed way from Tv for many days

How to find Flow in work conditions ?

One of the greatest ways to improve quality of our life is to find conditions of flow in our work. Jobs are easier to enjoy than free time because like flow activities they have built in goals, feedback, rules, challenges which encourage one to become involved in one’s work, to concentrate and loose oneself in it. People who enjoy their work, who do not waste free time end up feeling that their lives a whole have become much more worthwhile.

Actionable points

1. Instead of being critical of your work conditions, bring more experimentation, variety in it.
2. Recognize opportunities of your interests and action. Else modify work goals and develop skill sets with clear feedback.
3. As a leader/manager ensure that jobs become more meaningful and enjoyable than productive to employees.
4. Develop hobbies that demand skill, help to set goals and brings personal interests and inner discipline.

Flow in Solitude

COVID times have brought solitude in our lives as we are staying alone away from friends and even family members. In fact one third of our normal waking times is spent alone. Such time of solitude can bring boredom, stress and anxiety. Yet by building right habits solitude can be tamed to make life more meaningful

Actionable points

1. Use your solitude to accomplish goals of your life and learn new skills in the process. On a personal level ,living alone I use my time by
2. undertaking reading and acquiring new skills on digital communication psychology, communications, finance through online courses.
   Structure your time by a strict routine every day .This brings order to our psychic energy of attention.

Flow with other people

The quality of our life depends upon our interaction and relationship with people around us.

Actionable points

1. As elders/parents invest attention and involvement with family members. Offer unconditional support to kids/younger family members. Bring open communication and trust with them.
2. Develop openness, sensitivity and concentrated attention to friends. Build friendship with people who lift your spirits, share your goal of self realization and can sometimes make you crazy.

Conclusion

The availability of wider choices in today’s world have resulted in unfulfilled wants, dashed expectations, anxiety and guilt. Living a life with purpose/goals that is challenging enough to take up the psychic energy inside us gives meaning to our lives amid chaos. Goals which are not shaped by biological actions and social conditioning but emerge from self are worth pursuing.

Further, they s should be put to action .At the same time reflective action about worth of pursuing should also be constantly carried out. Learning to set goals, to develop skills, being sensitive to feedback, to know how to concentrate and get involved helps to enjoy life even when objective circumstances are nasty. Thus, he remains joyful irrespective of external situations. A person who pursues is never bored, seldom anxious and is involved with what goes on. He finds flow most of the time in his personal and professional lives.

References

1. Cherry K(2021)The Psychology of Flow,https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-flow-2794768
2. Houstan E( 2021)11 Activities and Exercises to induce a Flow State, Positive Psychology.com https://positivepsychology.com/flow-activities/
3. Csikszentmihalyi, M.(1990).The psychology of optimal experience .New York, NY: Harper & Row Publishers