Do you want to have control over your willpower, mood and attention? Do you want to control your inner self? Do you want to achieve great things in life? Integrating flow into your life will help you do just that!
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s (that’s pronounced: MEE-hy CHEEK-sent-mee-HAH-yee) Flow talks about how flow can restructure your life. It can transform your daily life, making it not just about self-repeating episodes of work, leisure and social visits, but about meaningful experiences that enrich your existence. Flow experiences can help you grow as a person, becoming more complex and capable.
But what exactly is this flow? It's that state where you're so absorbed in an activity that the world around you seems to disappear. Think of a rock climber who says, "All I can remember is the last thirty seconds, and all I can think ahead is the next five minutes." That's flow in action.
Entering a flow state during challenging periods as well as everyday situations will truly change your life. So, let the following key ideas show you exactly how you can enter a state of flow.
Summary
Flow means immersing yourself completely in an activity. It comes from intense concentration around your actions and their inherent feedback. It is possible to turn any aspect of our life into a unified flow experience to become more productive and lead a happier life.
The State of Flow Makes Life Enjoyable
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The conditions required to enter a flow
So? Any guesses on what makes working enjoyable? We’ll give you a hint. Ever played chess? The overarching goal in chess is of course check-mate, but to get there you have to focus on taking your opponent’s pieces or on figuring out how to clear a particular space, right? You’re putting your mind and soul into figuring out your next move. And that is what makes all the difference: when you get engrossed with something, you enter… flow!!! When you’re...
What else is flow comprised of?
Rock climbers, painters, composers, surgeons and programmers all have experienced flow and have identified eight of its major components. First, as mentioned, is having goals for every activity. The second, is to measure your progress and impact by looking for feedback. After missing a shot, a pool player will know that he needs to change the way he’s holding the cue or his position. So, when you follow the feedback trail of an activity, you can induce yourself into a...
Psychic entropy leads to boredom, anxiety and stress
You can’t drive your car or tie your shoelaces without paying attention. But then, there are other activities which do not NEED your attention, per se. Like you can totally rely on your muscle memory to mop the floors, right? This is convenient because our attention is limited. And then sometimes multiple things DO demand your attention. If you try to focus on all at the same time, it can cause problems. Your mind enters a state of disarray when...
Flow and stress
Unpopular opinion: Stress is a survival mechanism! Yes, that’s not how you usually see stress but if you really think about it, stress is what helps you cope with difficult times. But major stress? That can also cause psychic entropy. And that stops you from concentrating on one goal and entering a state of flow.So how do we minimize extra stress? See, extra stress is almost always external. And luckily, there are a few ways how you can deal with...
Develop an Autotelic Personality To Enter Flow State
The word, ‘autotelic’ comes from the Greek term ‘auto’ which means self and ‘telos’ which means purpose. Flow-generating activities are autotelic. You do them for their own sake, not to get external rewards. Some people have what is called an autotelic personality – they can turn any activity into an autotelic activity and let it flow. They can easily transform ordinary experiences into enjoyable ones. In case you’re not born with such a personality, nothing to fret about! You just...
The four habits of an autotelic personality
Someone with an autotelic personality can transform even the most traumatic or impossible situation into something manageable. Developing such a personality also helps you enjoy the daily grind. And you know how family can help, right? But what can YOU do? What mindset do YOU need to adopt?Well, it’s easy, just adopt the four habits that autotelic people swear by and weather all stressful situations without breaking a sweat. Firstly, you need to have the ability to set goals. Take...
How to Turn Life into a Unified Flow Experience
Okay, now you know almost everything there is to know about flow. One last thing you need to understand is its connection to life's meaning.Flow doesn't automatically translate to a fulfilling life. The challenge, Csikszentmihalyi argues, is to transform our entire existence into a flow experience. How? By finding a unifying purpose that makes even difficulties meaningful. Take the story of a man interviewed in one of Csikszentmihalyi's studies whom he designates as E. E’s childhood bicycle accident could have...
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About the Author
Mihaly Robert Csikszentmihalyi (29 September 1934 – 20 October 2021) was a Hungarian-American psychologist. He recognized and named the psychological concept of "flow", a highly focused mental state conducive to productivity. He was the Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Earlier, he served as the head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College.
More on: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihaly_Csikszentmihalyi
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