Behind the State of Flow

Flow state 💐is a highly focused and immersive mental state where an individual’s skill level matches the challenge of the task, resulting in self-awareness, altered time perception and heightened positive emotions. The flow theory was first introduced by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970’s. 

Characteristics of flow include:

Selflessness – your sense of self disappears, and your inner critic is silenced🤫 

Timeliness – you experience an altered sense of time. ⌛ 

Effortlessness – your sense of frustration and struggle disappears 👌

Intrinsic Motivation – the flow experience becomes it’s own reward 🧬

Intense Focus – distractions and external stimuli fade away ➰

Creativity, pattern recognition, learning and memory are enhanced 🎗️

The five steps to initiate Flow are:

Find flow triggers – identify internal &external factors that help set the stage for peak performance

Optimize your workplace – minimize distraction, prepare your materials and make sure you are comfortable

Set clear goals – define clear and goals to guide your focus

Challenge yourself – seek tasks that present a level of challenge that slightly exceeds your skills

Engage in tasks that you enjoy and genuinely interest you. For more information on brain science, flow and neuroplasticity, go to