Introduction To Flow State

Have you heard someone mention the "flow state"? What does this mean for you? How can you incorporate the flow state in your career to perform better?

Let’s understand how the flow state works and how you can start to tap into it in your work!

How the Flow State Works

When you’re in the flow state, everything else around you can seem to “melt” away. Nothing else exists except the thing you’re doing right now. You don’t notice time or think about unrelated things. I think it can be described as a hyper-focus on a task that ALSO feels easy and maybe even a little fun.

A conventional definition about flow is that it’s the midpoint between boredom and anxiety. If a task is too hard, you’ll become anxious, and likely not perform well or give up. If it’s too easy, you won’t be very engaged at all. In either case, you’ll think to yourself “what’s the point?” ad can give up easily. Flow state feels almost perfect, and you can be unstoppable.

If you can find a midpoint that matches your skill level, that’s where you’ll find flow. You should ideally be pushing yourself to a next level right above where you are but not much more than 5-10% above your comfort zone. You will not function at every task in this zone, and that’s fine, you don’t need to be in flow constantly. Being aware of what is it and when it is happening can help you leverage how you use the time in your day.

Remember, flow state isn’t something you can just “turn on” at will whenever you like. It’s a state of mind that you slip into, similar to sleep. You can cultivate a situation that makes sleep easier, but you can’t force sleep, and the same principles apply to flow. 

Cultivating your Environment

Since I mentioned it, let’s discuss the ways you can cultivate flow state and make it more achievable!

The first and most obvious thing you can do is set a time block where you don’t have any distractions. Have a clean, simple work space. No notifications, no unnecessary devices, nothing else on your mind to take you away from this moment. 

Obviously, this is much easier said than done. It’s really hard to create this time for yourself in a modern workplace. Between Slack messages, emails, and daily meetings, it can be hard to find a time where you’re not expected to be constantly available. This inherently disrupts workflow.

When a lot of the workplace dynamics seem to fight against flow, what can you do? Well, there are a few things to help get as close as you can:

 Make your immediate space as easy to process as possible, removing clutter on both your computer and desk. Giving yourself a sense of control, even if it’s in limited areas, makes you more comfortable and helps flow be natural. 

Since you can’t avoid distraction, you may be able to lean into it. Meeting and slack messages can break flow, but they can also be a source of feedback and shared goals, which is helpful in flow. Your team can be like a springboard, assisting your actions and working together. This won’t happen all the time, as others have their own projects, but it can come up if you communicate. 

Why you Want to Enter Flow

Flow helps with productivity and performance, and even your moods. Ever think that you never have enough time to do everything you need to? Flow helps with this. Without distractions or competing thoughts, you can get a lot more out of your time and feel very satisified during and after the process.

Entering flow simply makes work feel more enjoyable and fulfilling. Have you ever felt work turning into a grind, a painful routine that you have to force yourself to get through? Work will always have some tedium, but entering flow softens this immensely. You may be surprised by how much you can accomplish and how much clarity you have.

Even if you can’t always get fully into flow, trying to cultivate the flow state will create better and more fulfilling work. Being able to consistently focus is always a helpful skill, increasingly rare in an age of endless distractions. 

Improve Your Workplace Performance With a Coaching Program

Want to learn more about the flow state, workplace performance, and leveling up your career? Consider checking out our coaching program and Mindset City Co. We can help you develop the leadership skills you need to reach the next stage of your work life, and cultivate moments in your day to maximize your impact in your work and life.