What is Flow?
Flow is a concept developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, during his work on happiness.The term was first used by people he studied, to describe their optimal or peak experiences. Csikszentmihalyi concluded that regularly being in a flow state leads to happiness. And that flow is not a random event, but can be generated voluntarily.
Csikszentmihalyi researched the psychology of happiness for many years, asking thousands of individuals what made them happy. He determined that people most enjoyed themselves when doing something which pushed their abilities to the limit. Sometimes when people are engaged in such activities, they enter a state where they are so involved in whatever they are doing that nothing else seems to matter, said Csikszentmihalyi, it is so enjoyable that they would do it even at great personal cost.
What does it feel like?
A person in flow is completely absorbed in an activity, concentrating completely on the task at hand with no mental room for thoughts or distractions about the outside world, the activity feels effortless and flowing, there is a sense of intense enjoyment, the passage of time is distorted and there is a loss of self consciousness.
What conditions are usually required to generate flow?
Flow is usually generated during a challenging activity. More easily when there is a chance of completing the task, when there are clear goals, immediate feedback,and when the task matches the individual’s abilities. An activity which is too easy will lead to boredom, one which is too difficult to anxiety and frustration, both will disturb concentration and the flow experience.
Usually when we do something, we have thoughts like “should I be doing this?”, “am I doing it right?”, “maybe it would be better if I did that instead”. The secret of flow is to learn the skill of fully directing your attention to a task, which is just within your abilities, so that there are no mental resources left for these kind of distracting thoughts, says Csikszentmihalyi.
What occupations are more likely to produce it?
Whatever the occupation, flow is more likely when there are goals which are meaningful to the individual, and when progress can be gauged by feedback he can understand. Some people, like surgeons for example, have more obvious clear cut goals, and immediate feedback in their work, than others says Csikszentmihalyi, but all work can potentially be made into a flow activity.
Mindfulness and flow
“It is also important to develop the habit
of doing whatever needs to be done with
concentrated attention. Even the most
routine tasks, like washing dishes,
dressing, or mowing the lawn, become
more rewarding if we approach them
with the care it would take to make a
work of art”
Csikszentmihalyi in an interview with Psychology Today.
Flow often occurs during meditation, where attention is focused in this way, on the breath or on thoughts and emotions as they pass through the mind. For more on this see the review of Happiness by Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk, with thousands of hours of meditation experience who makes some interesting comments about flow from the perspective of a Buddhist and scientist .
Photo at top of page by notsogoodphotography
flow, happiness, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, goals
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
The Relaxation Response
Meditation induces the relaxation response, a physiological state of relaxed alertness, which may protect us from the ill effects of prolonged stress, says physiologist Herbert Benson.It’s a concept developed by Benson during the 1970s, while studying practitioners of Transcendental Meditation. A state where heart rate, breathing and metabolism slow, with the mind remaining alert. He described this as a ” physiological state of quietude, giving us the ability to heal and rejuvenate our bodies”.
Benson says it’s distinct from sleep or simply resting . Like sleep, metabolism slows and the body requires less oxygen, but EEG recordings of brain activity show Alpha waves, usually only found when awake. When simply resting there’s no slowing of the body’s metabolism at all.
The overall effect on the body is opposite to the effect of the stress response (otherwise known as the fight or flight response).
The Stress Response
This is the body’s reflex reaction to perceived danger, preparing us to stay and fight or run for cover. The circulation is flooded with the stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin, which have a dramatic effect on the body increasing heart and breathing rates, blood pressure, metabolic rate and blood flow to the muscles. It is extremely effective when facing a danger requiring intense physical activity, but is inappropriate, and sometimes harmful when triggered by modern everyday stress and anxiety.
In fact prolonged exposure to the stress response can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke.
Benson says that inducing the relaxation response, for as little as 20 minutes twice a day, can protect us from many of these ill-effects.
How to Induce the Relaxation Response
The key to inducing the relaxation response is breaking the chain of everyday thought by repetition, that is repeating a sound, word, phrase or even movement such as jogging or swimming. Gently guiding yourself back to your repetitive phrase or activity when any thoughts come into your mind, says Benson in an interview with the New York Sun.
The only other essential element, he says, is an attitude of passivity, not striving to achieve anything in particular.
Benson developed a very simple technique to induce the relaxation response:
- Pick a focus word, short phrase, or prayer that is firmly rooted in your belief system.
- Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes.
- Relax your muscles, progressing from your feet to your calves, thighs, abdomen, shoulders, head and neck.
- Breathe slowly and naturally and as you do say your focus word, sound phrase, or prayer silently to yourself as you exhale.
- Assume a passive attitude. Don’t worry about how well you’re doing. When other thoughts come to mind, simply say to yourself, “Oh Well” and gently returned to your repetition.
- Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Do not stand immediately.
- Continue sitting quietly for a minute or so, allowing other thoughts to return.
- Then open your eyes and wait several minutes before rising.
- Practice that only once or twice daily. Good times are just before breakfast and before dinner.
Conclusion
- The relaxation response induces a relaxed alertness, physiologically very different to either sleep or just putting your feet up.
- It’s the physiological opposite to the potentially harmful fight or flight response.
- Inducing it ,for just 20 minutes twice a day, may protect us from the harmful effects of stress.
Further Reading
- Learning Modern Meditation
- “The Relaxation Response” By Herbert Benson. Published by Harper Torch
Photo at top of page by suneko