Have you ever been so singularly focused on a task that you lost track of time—or even your sense of self? You could have been experiencing flow state.
Flow state is a state of total immersion in the task at hand.
What happens to the brain during flow state?
During flow state, the brain enters a meditative level of consciousness. Scientifically, this means brainwaves slow, while neuronal connectivity is increased. Flow state is healthy for the brain.
What are the benefits of flow state?
One of the major benefits of flow state is seamless creativity. The seamlessness may come from the slowed brainwave activity, and the creativity may be due to the increased sending of signals from one nervous system region to another.
Another benefit of flow state is the unnoticed passing of time, which can be especially preferable when sitting through a three-hour lecture.
Five tips to help you enter flow state
- Morning exercise
Proper mental priming is important to be able to enter flow state. If you tend to overthink frequently during activities and notice that it is impeding on your level of focus, morning workouts can offer a great release. Studies show that exercise reduces anxiety and improves cognitive function.
- Safe and supportive environment
Being in the right setting and eliminating distractions is crucial for allowing yourself to fully let go and enter the flow state.
Safe and supportive spaces may look different based on individual needs and the nature of the activity. For example, a writer may choose a location without loud unexpected noises, whereas an artist might choose a busy park to find inspiration to draw.
- Intensity level and skill set
It’s important to choose a task that is neither too hard nor too easy. If it is too hard, immediate arousal of focus will quickly spike, followed by a quick decline. If the task is too easy, it may take too long to reach an optimal level of arousal to stay engaged. According to Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the right task has a fair balance of skill and challenge.
- Interest
Passion may be a key prerequisite to entering flow state. When you decide something is meaningful, you will naturally be inclined to offer it your full dedication. If you’re doing something you totally despise, it may be hard to enter flow state.
- Meditation
Focused meditation is a practice in which you focus on one specific stimulus. Generally, the most common and readily available types of meditations can be found online as guided meditations on YouTube. Meditation as a daily practice is an excellent method of training your mind.
By consistently self-training with meditation, you take control of where your attention goes. You have more power over turning off unnecessary, intrusive thoughts on command. This ability will strengthen your brain and allow you to enter flow state more easily.
Flow, flow, flow
Reap the benefits of flow state and improve your concentration by practising these five tips.
[Photo via Tim Gouw/Unsplash]
