Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Flow?Benefits of a Flow StateCharacteristicsExamplesFlow vs. HyperfocusHow to AchieveFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Flow?
Benefits of a Flow State
Characteristics
Examples
Flow vs. Hyperfocus
How to Achieve
Frequently Asked Questions
Close
If you have ever felt completely absorbed in something, you might have been experiencing a mental state that psychologists refer to asflow. Achieving this state can help people feel greater enjoyment, energy, and involvement. Flow is a state of mind in which a person becomes fully immersed in an activity. Positive psychologistMihály Csíkszentmihályidescribes flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity.
Imagine for a moment that you are running a race. Your attention is focused on the movements of your body, the power of your muscles, the force of your lungs, and the feel of the street beneath your feet. You are living in the moment, utterly absorbed in the present activity. Time seems to fall away. You are tired, but you barely notice. This is an example of a flow state.
In this article, learn more about how flow states are defined and some of the major benefits of experiencing flow. Also, explore some of the characteristics of this state and what you can do to improve your chances of reaching flow.
Being immersed can be defined as a state of focus in which a person is completely absorbed and engrossed in their work. While in a flow state, people are highly involved and focused on what they are doing.
“Theegofalls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost,” Csíkszentmihályi said in aninterview withWiredmagazine.
Flow experiences can occur in different ways for different people. It often happens when you are doing something that you enjoy and in which you are quite skilled.
This state is often associated with the creative arts, such as painting, drawing, or writing. However, it can also occur while engaging in a sport, such as skiing, tennis, soccer, dancing, or running.
In addition to making activities more enjoyable, flow also has a number of other advantages.
Emotional Regulation
With increased flow, people experience growth toward emotional complexity. This can help people develop skills that allow them toregulate their emotionsmore effectively.
Fulfillment and Happiness
People in a flow state enjoy what they are doing more. Because the task becomes more enjoyable, they are also more likely to find it rewarding and fulfilling.Research also suggests that flow states may be linked to increased levels ofhappiness, satisfaction, andself-actualization.
Intrinsic Motivation
Because flow is a positive mental state, it can help increasemotivation. Intrinsic motivation involves doing things for internal rewards (how they make you feel) vs. external rewards (such as prizes or payment).
Engagement and Performance
People in a flow state feel fully involved in the task at hand. Researchers have found that flow can enhance performance in a wide variety of areas including teaching, learning, athletics,and artisticcreativity.
Learning, Skill Development, and Creativity
Because the act of achieving flow indicates a substantial mastery of a certain skill, people have to keep seeking new challenges and information in order to maintain this state.
Flow states often take place during creative tasks, which can help inspire greater creative and artistic pursuits.
RecapFlow has a number of benefits. It is associated with increased happiness, higher intrinsic motivation, greater creativity, and better emotional regulation, among other positive effects.
Recap
Flow has a number of benefits. It is associated with increased happiness, higher intrinsic motivation, greater creativity, and better emotional regulation, among other positive effects.
Characteristics of Flow
According to Csíkszentmihályi, there are ten factors that accompany the experience of flow. While many of these components may be present, it is not necessary to experience all of them for flow to occur:
What Happens to the Brain During Flow
Research has found that there are changes in brain activity during flow states.While research is ongoing, two theories that have been proposed:
Other research suggests that there is also an increase in the activity of dopamine (a brain chemical involved in pleasure and motivation) when people are experiencing flow.
Examples of a Flow State
While flow experiences can happen as part of everyday life, there are also important practical applications in various areas including education, sports, and the workplace.
Flow in Creative Pursuits
Flow in Education
Csíkszentmihályi has suggested that overlearning a skill or concept can help people experience flow. Another critical concept in his theory is the idea of slightly extending oneself beyond one’s current ability level. This slight stretching of one’s current skills can help the individual experience flow.
Flow in Sports
Flow in the Workplace
Flow can also occur when workers are engaged in tasks where they are able to focus entirely on the project at hand. For example, a coder might experience this while trying to solve a programming problem, or an interior designer might achieve flow while brainstorming ideas for a new project.
A flow state can resemble what is referred to as hyperfocus, which involves an intense focus or fixation on a specific task that holds a person’s interest.Hyperfocusis often a characteristic ofattention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Hyperfocus and flow can seem very similar, but there are important differences. When experiencing hyperfocus, people often become so immersed in a task that they lose sight of everything else to the point that it negatively affects their life.
Flow, on the other hand, is a more beneficial state that can be conducive to well-being. Another significant distinction is that hyperfocus requires a person to be highly interested in the tasks, while flow can happen with almost any task that a person finds challenging, engaging, or rewarding.
How to Achieve Flow
It takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes of focused attention to reach a flow state. Once in flow, it may last from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. However, it is possible to achieve flow more than once a day, given the right conditions.
So what can you do to increase your chances ofachieving flow? There are some strategies you can use to help set the stage for entering a flow state.
Set Clear Goals
In his book, Csíkszentmihályi explains that flow is likely to occur when an individual is faced with a task that hasclear goalsthat require specific responses.
A game of chess is a good example of when a flow state might occur. For the duration of a competition, the player has very specific goals and responses, allowing attention to be focused entirely on the game during the period of play.
Eliminate Distractions
It’s more difficult to experience flow if there are things in your environment competing for your attention. Try reducing distractions so you can fully focus on the task at hand. You might wear noise-canceling headphones, turn off or put away your phone, and so on.
Add an Element of Challenge
Practice Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation andmindfulnessmay help you get into a flow state more readily. Mindfulness involves becoming more attuned to the present moment. One study found that practicing mindfulness regularly helped athletes experience a flow state and improved their performance.
Choose a Pursuit You Enjoy
You aren’t likely to achieve flow if you are doing an activity you truly dislike. Focus on trying to achieve flow while working on something you love.
RecapHaving a specific goal, choosing a task that is moderately challenging, pursuing an enjoyable project, and minimizing the distractions around you can all help you better achieve a state of flow.
Having a specific goal, choosing a task that is moderately challenging, pursuing an enjoyable project, and minimizing the distractions around you can all help you better achieve a state of flow.
A Word From Verywell
Achieving a state of flow can be a great way to make the activities you pursue more engaging and enjoyable. Not only do people often perform better when they are in this state of flow, but they may also be able to improve their skills. Fortunately, it is also a skill you can learn to achieve with practice.
It is important to remember that flow is a dynamic and ever-changing state. As your skill levels increase, you will need to continue to adjust the level of challenge that is needed to help initiate a state of flow.
Frequently Asked QuestionsFlow is a state of mind that occurs when a person is totally immersed in an activity. It can occur during a wide variety of tasks such as when a person is learning, being creative, or participating in a sport. When in a flow state, people pay no attention to distractions and time seems to pass without any notice.Flow states often occur when a person is highly interested in what they are working on, but there are things that you can do to foster a flow state. Doing something you love, adding a little bit of a challenge, and minimizing the distractions around you can all help you achieve flow.Being in a flow state can help you focus on what you are learning and be more productive when you are studying. To do this, find a quiet place to study, set a goal for how much you will accomplish during your study session, and choose study materials that are within your skill level but still just a little bit challenging.
Flow is a state of mind that occurs when a person is totally immersed in an activity. It can occur during a wide variety of tasks such as when a person is learning, being creative, or participating in a sport. When in a flow state, people pay no attention to distractions and time seems to pass without any notice.
Flow states often occur when a person is highly interested in what they are working on, but there are things that you can do to foster a flow state. Doing something you love, adding a little bit of a challenge, and minimizing the distractions around you can all help you achieve flow.
Being in a flow state can help you focus on what you are learning and be more productive when you are studying. To do this, find a quiet place to study, set a goal for how much you will accomplish during your study session, and choose study materials that are within your skill level but still just a little bit challenging.
10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.TED.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness.Bonaiuto M, Mao Y, Roberts S, et al.Optimal experience and personal growth: Flow and the consolidation of place identity.Front Psychol. 2016;7:1654. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01654Koehn S, Morris T.The relationship between performance and flow state in tennis competition.J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2012;52(4):437-47.Šimleša M, Guegan J, Blanchard E, Tarpin-Bernard F, Buisine S.The flow engine framework: A cognitive model of optimal human experience.Eur J Psychol. 2018;14(1):232-253. doi:10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1370Csikszentmihalyi M.Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. Basic Books.Katahira K, Yamazaki Y, Yamaoka C, Ozaki H, Nakagawa S, Nagata N.EEG correlates of the flow state: A combination of increased frontal theta and moderate frontocentral alpha rhythm in the mental arithmetic task.Front Psychol. 2018;9:300. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00300Gold J, Ciorciari J.A review on the role of the neuroscience of flow states in the modern world.Behav Sci (Basel). 2020;10(9):137. doi:10.3390/bs10090137Gold J, Ciorciari J.A review on the role of the neuroscience of flow states in the modern world.Behav Sci (Basel). 2020;10(9):137. doi:10.3390/bs10090137van der Linden D, Tops M, Bakker AB.The neuroscience of the flow state: involvement of the locus coeruleus norepinephrine system.Front Psychol. 2021;12:645498. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645498Chen JH, Tsai PH, Lin YC, Chen CK, Chen CY.Mindfulness training enhances flow state and mental health among baseball players in Taiwan.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018;12:15-21. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S188734
10 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.TED.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness.Bonaiuto M, Mao Y, Roberts S, et al.Optimal experience and personal growth: Flow and the consolidation of place identity.Front Psychol. 2016;7:1654. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01654Koehn S, Morris T.The relationship between performance and flow state in tennis competition.J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2012;52(4):437-47.Šimleša M, Guegan J, Blanchard E, Tarpin-Bernard F, Buisine S.The flow engine framework: A cognitive model of optimal human experience.Eur J Psychol. 2018;14(1):232-253. doi:10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1370Csikszentmihalyi M.Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. Basic Books.Katahira K, Yamazaki Y, Yamaoka C, Ozaki H, Nakagawa S, Nagata N.EEG correlates of the flow state: A combination of increased frontal theta and moderate frontocentral alpha rhythm in the mental arithmetic task.Front Psychol. 2018;9:300. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00300Gold J, Ciorciari J.A review on the role of the neuroscience of flow states in the modern world.Behav Sci (Basel). 2020;10(9):137. doi:10.3390/bs10090137Gold J, Ciorciari J.A review on the role of the neuroscience of flow states in the modern world.Behav Sci (Basel). 2020;10(9):137. doi:10.3390/bs10090137van der Linden D, Tops M, Bakker AB.The neuroscience of the flow state: involvement of the locus coeruleus norepinephrine system.Front Psychol. 2021;12:645498. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645498Chen JH, Tsai PH, Lin YC, Chen CK, Chen CY.Mindfulness training enhances flow state and mental health among baseball players in Taiwan.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018;12:15-21. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S188734
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
TED.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness.Bonaiuto M, Mao Y, Roberts S, et al.Optimal experience and personal growth: Flow and the consolidation of place identity.Front Psychol. 2016;7:1654. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01654Koehn S, Morris T.The relationship between performance and flow state in tennis competition.J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2012;52(4):437-47.Šimleša M, Guegan J, Blanchard E, Tarpin-Bernard F, Buisine S.The flow engine framework: A cognitive model of optimal human experience.Eur J Psychol. 2018;14(1):232-253. doi:10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1370Csikszentmihalyi M.Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. Basic Books.Katahira K, Yamazaki Y, Yamaoka C, Ozaki H, Nakagawa S, Nagata N.EEG correlates of the flow state: A combination of increased frontal theta and moderate frontocentral alpha rhythm in the mental arithmetic task.Front Psychol. 2018;9:300. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00300Gold J, Ciorciari J.A review on the role of the neuroscience of flow states in the modern world.Behav Sci (Basel). 2020;10(9):137. doi:10.3390/bs10090137Gold J, Ciorciari J.A review on the role of the neuroscience of flow states in the modern world.Behav Sci (Basel). 2020;10(9):137. doi:10.3390/bs10090137van der Linden D, Tops M, Bakker AB.The neuroscience of the flow state: involvement of the locus coeruleus norepinephrine system.Front Psychol. 2021;12:645498. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645498Chen JH, Tsai PH, Lin YC, Chen CK, Chen CY.Mindfulness training enhances flow state and mental health among baseball players in Taiwan.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018;12:15-21. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S188734
TED.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness.
Bonaiuto M, Mao Y, Roberts S, et al.Optimal experience and personal growth: Flow and the consolidation of place identity.Front Psychol. 2016;7:1654. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01654
Koehn S, Morris T.The relationship between performance and flow state in tennis competition.J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2012;52(4):437-47.
Šimleša M, Guegan J, Blanchard E, Tarpin-Bernard F, Buisine S.The flow engine framework: A cognitive model of optimal human experience.Eur J Psychol. 2018;14(1):232-253. doi:10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1370
Csikszentmihalyi M.Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. Basic Books.
Katahira K, Yamazaki Y, Yamaoka C, Ozaki H, Nakagawa S, Nagata N.EEG correlates of the flow state: A combination of increased frontal theta and moderate frontocentral alpha rhythm in the mental arithmetic task.Front Psychol. 2018;9:300. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00300
Gold J, Ciorciari J.A review on the role of the neuroscience of flow states in the modern world.Behav Sci (Basel). 2020;10(9):137. doi:10.3390/bs10090137
van der Linden D, Tops M, Bakker AB.The neuroscience of the flow state: involvement of the locus coeruleus norepinephrine system.Front Psychol. 2021;12:645498. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645498
Chen JH, Tsai PH, Lin YC, Chen CK, Chen CY.Mindfulness training enhances flow state and mental health among baseball players in Taiwan.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018;12:15-21. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S188734
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