Flow

It’s my turn to write a blog post, and the topic I’ve selected will be very familiar to my colleagues and former interns. In fact, I can almost feel the eyes rolling as I’m writing. Not because they don’t appreciate flow states, but because, as one of my favorite topics, I’ve talked about flow nonstop for the last several years.

What is flow, exactly? It’s an optimal state of consciousness characterized by deep concentration, clear goals, transformation of time, and loss of self-consciousness. It is a deeply rewarding state that is associated with a lot of important benefits. More on that in a minute.

Any time we witness greatness, we’re seeing flow in action. Remember when Klay Thompson scored 37 points in one quarter? Or when Santana played Woodstock?

The cool thing is that flow can be contagious. You see this in the crowd response in the examples from the previous paragraph.

As creative arts therapists, we often facilitate flow. Patients experience deep focus while working on art therapy projects, singing in groups, choreographing dances, and collaboratively improvising with musical instruments.

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

Why is this important? What makes it therapeutic? The effect of flow in the brain is impressive. During flow states, brains experience an increase in chemicals that help decrease tension, reduce pain, improve mood, and foster prosocial behaviors. The natural medicines our brains provide during flow states are impactful, inexpensive, and free of unpleasant side-effects.

Flow isn’t only available to elite athletes, musicians, and artists. It doesn’t have to be heroic, and it doesn’t require an audience. Flow is for everyone. When do you lose track of time? When are you deeply focused and involved in something, and what makes it so motivating to you?

Identifying these things can lead to massive improvements in life satisfaction, not to mention all the neurochemical benefits mentioned earlier.

Here is a video from violinist Diane Allen, who explains how she coaches others to find flow and deepen their engagement with life. Below that is another favorite from one of the first psychologists to describe and characterize flow states, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

And for one more resource: The key to productivity is tapping into your flow state. Here’s how.