Have you ever lost yourself in your work, so much so that you lost track of time? Completely absorbed by such a task, although it is not for everyone, is a mental state of focus that “Flow" is called.
Experience shows that it is one of the keys to happiness at work, and a nice added benefit is that it is not alone stress reduces, but also your productivity increases. Not bad, right?
When you talk about focus and performing work in a deeper state of concentration, you automatically end up with the concept of Flow - also called “getting into the zone (or flow)”. A state that most of us have experienced at one time or another when doing an (important) task.
We look at what Flow is, why it is important and how we can achieve this regularly for more productivity and happiness at work.
What is Flow?
Simply put, Flow is a state of mind that you achieve when you are completely immersed in a task and you completely forget about the outside world. It is a concept proposed by psychologist in positive psychology called Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.
When in Flow state you can:
- be fully focused on the task at hand
- forget yourself, others and the world around you
- completely losing sight of time and sense of time
- experience a sense of happiness and control
- become creative and productive
A nice aspect of Flow is that it uses the Zen concept of being fully in the moment and applies it to work tasks. It's a concept that many strive for: being in the moment, concentrating fully on a single task, and finding a sense of calm and happiness in your work. Flow is exactly that.
Why is Flow important?
The ability to do one task at a time (as opposed to multi-tasking) is one of the keys to true productivity. Not the kind of productivity where you cut 20 items off your to-do list (although that can be satisfying), where you switch between tasks all day and are busy and busy all the time.
The real productivity we mean is the kind where you get your goals actually achieved, and you achieve important things - also for the longer term. For example, if you are a writer, that could mean writing one or two important and memorable articles instead of twenty or fifty unimportant articles that people will forget five minutes after reading them. It means you can finish and cross important projects off your list instead of answering a ton of emails, making a lot of phone calls, attending several meetings, and spending all day with paperwork. It means closing important deals. It means quality instead of quantity.
And once you've learned to focus on those kinds of important projects and tasks, Flow is the mental state of how to get them done. You get lost in those important and challenging tasks, and instead of being constantly interrupted by the small, often unnecessary, things (phone calls, emails, chat messages, colleagues, etc.) you can focus long enough on the really important tasks and then actually complete them.
And by losing yourself in such tasks through Flow, you also get more satisfaction. You reduce stress while increasing the quality of the work performed. You get important things done instead of just getting things done. You accomplish things instead of just occupying yourself.
Flow is one of the keys to achieving all of that.
"Concentration is the root of all the higher abilities in man." - Bruce Lee
How to achieve flow and happiness in your work
So how do you achieve this mystical state of being? Should you meditate or affirm something first? No, you don't have to (though meditation can improve your ability to concentrate). And Flow is anything but mystical - it is very practical, and achieving it is not mysterious.
It may take some practice, but you will get better at it. Here are the most important steps to achieve Flow and benefit from it for the rest of your life:
Choose work you love
If you dread a task, you will find it difficult to lose yourself in it. If your job is made up of things you hate, you might want to consider looking for another job. Or consider looking for projects that you prefer to do within your current job. In any case, make sure that whatever task you choose is something you can be fully passionate about.
Set interconnected goals
According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the psychologist and professor widely regarded as the 'father of flow', setting realistic goals is an important precondition for achieving flow. Setting goals helps us focus on our tasks. Surprisingly, far too many people don't set work-related goals.
Choose an important task
There is work you love that is easy and unimportant, and there is work you love that has a long-lasting impact on you career and life. Choose the latter, because that is a much better use of your time and Flow.
It should be challenging, but not too difficult
If a task is too easy, you can complete it without much thought or effort. A task must be challenging enough for you to complete concentration to require. However, if it is too difficult, you will find it difficult to completely lose yourself in it because you will spend most of your concentration trying to figure out how to do it - or it will discourage you. It may take some trial and error to find tasks of the correct difficulty.
Find your own quiet peak time
These are actually two steps in one. First, you want to find a time that is quiet or you won't be able to concentrate properly. For many people, that is in the mornings, before the hustle and bustle of everyday life develops into huge distractions. That could be early in the morning, when you just wake up, or early in the workday, when most people have not yet arrived or are still busy with their coffee round. Or you can try the lunch break, when people are usually busy with other things. The evenings also work well for many people. Or, if you're lucky, you can do it any time of the day if you can find a quiet place to work yourself in.
Whatever time you choose, it should be peak time for you too. Some people get tired after lunch - that's not a good time to go for Flow. Find a time when you have a lot energy and you can concentrate.
Get rid of those distractions, including unnecessary meetings
Aside from finding a quiet time and place to work, you want to eliminate all other distractions. That means turning off distracting music (unless music is actually helping you focus), turning off phones, email and chat notifications, and social media notifications. Many also prefer to work at a tidy desk.
In addition, most interruptions in the office are often meetings or with working from home the many online meetings. Often unnecessary, be selective and determine whether it is really essential to attend these meetings or calls.
Teach yourself to focus on that task for as long as possible
This takes practice. You have to start on your chosen task and really keep your attention on it for as long as possible. In the beginning, many people will have a hard time if they are used to constantly switching between tasks. But keep trying and keep focusing your attention on that one task over and over again. You really get better at it. And if you can keep your focus on that one task, without further distraction, the task is well chosen (something you love, something important and something challenging), then you should lose yourself in a mental state of Flow.
Keep practicing
Indeed, this takes practice. Each step takes some practice, from finding a quiet time for yourself to clearing distractions to choosing the right task. And especially to keep your focus on a task for a long time. But try to learn from it every time you fail. Every time you have managed to get into the Flow, you also have to learn from it - what did you do well? And the more you practice, the better you get. Doesn't that apply to everything?
Prioritize your mental health
Flow is a mental state and - unsurprisingly - which is closely linked to mental health. Our chances of achieving flow increase when we prioritize our mental health.
In recent years, workplaces have also made a positive transition from seeing mental health as a taboo to being considered happy as a major topic of conversation.
Enjoy it
Losing yourself in Flow is an amazing experience. It feels great to be able to really throw yourself into something worthwhile, to make great progress on a project or important task, to do something that you are passionate about. Take the time to appreciate this feeling (it will be afterwards - it's hard to appreciate while in Flow).
Reap the benefits!
Aside from the pleasure of getting into Flow, you will also be happier with your job in general. You get important things done. You will finish things more often instead of starting and stopping. All of this is immensely satisfying and rewarding. Take the time to appreciate this, and above all keep practicing it every day.
Finally about Flow
Flow is characterized by effortlessly completing important tasks, but that doesn't mean it can be accomplished with minimal effort. By consciously taking into account the elements above, you can achieve that state of absolute satisfaction that can be the pinnacle of success and also well-being.
Sources ao Inc (link), Lifehack (link), PositvePsychology (link), ZenHabits (link)
