There are moments when you’re so completely focused on what you\u2019re doing that everything around you vanishes into the background, and it\u2019s just you and the thing. If you\u2019ve ever experienced it, you already know what it is\u2014the flow state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like a musician getting lost in their rhythm, an artist in their strokes, an athlete in their movements, a mathematician in their numbers, or a writer in their words\u2026 However, the state of flow is not only reserved for geniuses. It\u2019s a frame of mind that everyone can tap into with practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s something enchanting about being in this mode\u2014it\u2019s almost like the high of witnessing a miracle. And as the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu says, \u201cThose who flow as life flows know they need no other force.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often referred to as \u201cin the zone,\u201d being in the flow merges action and awareness. It happens when you\u2019re fully immersed in the task at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s when all aspects of performance\u2014mental and physical\u2014are elevated, and time just seems to fly by, according to Steven Kotler<\/strong>, founder of Flow Research Collective and trainer of Mindvalley\u2019s The Habit of Ferocity<\/em> program.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not really a new concept; psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term itself. In his book, Beyond Boredom and Anxiety: Experiencing Flow in Work and Play<\/em>, his survey subjects described their peak activities as \u201cflowy\u201d experiences\u2014seamless and effortless from one thing to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Top performers understand this state very well. And, as the Flow Research Collective found, they not only needed a goal but also a crisis or challenge to drive them forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFlow appears near the emotional midpoint between boredom and anxiety, in what scientists call the flow channel\u2014the spot where the task is hard enough to make us stretch but not hard enough to make us snap,<\/em>\u201d Steven explains. But the question is: how much of a challenge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n He adds, \u201cAnswers vary, but the general thinking is about 4%. That\u2019s it. That\u2019s the sweet spot. If you want to trigger flow, the challenge should be 4% more than the skills<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you want to get \u201cin the zone,\u201d raise the bar on your daily routine<\/a> and focus on something even bigger than what you were already doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A review article<\/a> published in Frontiers in Psychology <\/em>highlights four characteristics that induce flow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo put it another way,<\/em>\u201d says Steven, \u201cflow is the telephone booth where Clark Kent changes clothes, the place from where Superman emerges.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are times when flow can look like hyperfocus and vice versa. However, they are differences between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a look at one versus the other:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To put it into perspective, let\u2019s take cleaning your bedroom as an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re hyperfocused, you put all your attention into putting things in their place and making the space aesthetically pleasing. You may put away all distractions, like your phone, until you get this one task done and dusted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, when you\u2019re in flow (yes, you can be in this state even with hygiene practices), you\u2019re not making yourself excessively focused and tuning out everything around you. Rather, there\u2019s a degree of mindfulness<\/a> in the way you approach a task and you allow the inspiration to ebb and flow through you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of their differences, flow and focus are interconnected. The most important thing you need to know about flow is that it always follows your focus. In other words, you can flow when you are hyperfocused on the \u201chere and now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an interview with Vishen on The Mindvalley Podcast, Steven shares how being in the flow state helped him heal from Lyme disease. You can listen to the episode to find out more about his story.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is the flow state?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Characteristics of the flow state<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Flow vs. hyperfocus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3 benefits of achieving flow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n