How To Get Into Your Flow State
Have you heard of the flow state? Also known as being ‘in the zone’, flow state is a state of being where you are fully immersed in an activity—mind, body and soul. It’s a complete absorption in what you’re doing. Common traits when you’re in a flow state are that you lose sense of time and you are energised by the activity you're doing. I have encountered this in my writing and it’s absolutely exhilarating—more so than that time I went skydiving and described the whole experience as being ‘lovely’. I didn’t even get a rush of adrenaline. There’s something wrong with me…I digress…
I’ve done a bit of exploring and wanted to share with you a couple of things I’ve learnt about being in the state of flow and how you can help get yourself there. Hopefully this will help you experience that same energy I’ve experienced.
1. Remove distractions
I know some creatives who cannot tend to their art until they have cleaned their desk, office or house. Others have to turn their phones off, or use an app to block the internet from the devices. Why does this matter? You can interrupt your flow state with meaningless distraction, so tend to your ‘space’ and remove distractions.
2. Fall in love with the process
In my teens, acting was my hobby and hands down my favourite part of putting on a show was the rehearsal process. Sure I appreciate the applause, the adrenalin rush of a live performance and the affirmation of receiving a standing ovation or a favourable review. But how I got there was so much more enjoyable. Why? I think it’s the journey of discovery, the work that goes into a play bonds you not only with the art, but with the cast and crew of people you’re performing with. There’s a lot of silliness and laughter along the way, but more than that—together you’re committed to the same outcome, the best performance you can offer a paying audience, so they have the best experience possible of your art form. So, do not get consumed simply with the performance or the final product, relish every step—that’s where you’ll find the deepest treasures. Don’t just fall in love with the process, fall for the joy that comes with the process. You might find flow there.
3. Your abilities need to match the activity
This is a funny statement, but when I reflect on my life, it makes sense. Case in point, as a teenager I was rubbish at soccer. I had to play it as part of PE at school. I’m not sporty, I’m a bit uncoordinated and it takes me extra effort to do two things at once (running and kicking). So the whole experience for me was frustrating and embarrassing, because I’d watch soccer on TV and try to emulate what they did and well, I’d either trip over the ball, or it’d end up in my face. Conversely, at the same age I found acting. I had a natural ability there. And when I attended my youth theatre group time flew. And I love every minute. At first I didn’t really know that I was any good, then I won a bunch of acting awards. I say this because what happened was a similar level of effort/work was put into acting as the soccer, but one was enjoyable and the other was frustrating. I had a natural affinity with acting, not with soccer. And without realising it, I found myself in a flow state at the age of fifteen on a stage in front of hundreds of people—completely lost in a role.
4. Cultivate a shorthand
Some athletes repeat a phrase over and over before they compete, others play a certain song to get them into ‘the zone’ and still others sit in silence and clear their head. In fact,
The world-leading researcher on music for performance, Dr. Costas Karageorghis, who has authored over 100 studies, says that one can think of music as “a type of legal performance-enhancing drug.” Check out his fascinating article ‘4 Remarkable Ways Music Can Enhance Athletic Performance’ on The Health Sciences Academy website.
Learn from these guys, because we can each do something to prepare ourselves to get into the zone and get there quickly. For me I have a couple of magic tricks. When I was writing ‘Generation Alpha’ from home, my common practice after I’d got dressed in comfy clothes was that I would spritz myself with aftershave. The scent of the aftershave triggered a ‘ready for work mode’, because it was the last thing I would do before I left the house to head into my old job in the city. My nose told my mind that I meant business. Two other things I do—I watch an inspiring YouTube video, more often than not it’s Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Your Elusive Creative Genius’ and the third thing I do is read my work—sometimes it moves me, sometimes it surprises me (it’s better than I remembered ha!) and sometimes it challenges me to work harder and write better. These things thrust me into a flow state and honestly, I can find myself writing for hours when I’ve done one, two or all of these things.
5. Break it up!
Take yourself on a date. A change of scenery can reignite creativity and throw you into a flow state because a new environment can be exhilarating. If you’re writing or drawing, do it in a beautiful library with books floor to ceiling. Or in a cafe with the scent of coffee lingering in the air along with the chatter of people nearby. For me, one sure fire way to get me into a state of flow is being near water—the sound, the site, the smell of the ocean all help me.
The science blog Headspace outlines the benefits of being in the flow state which I thought were fascinating and I can attest to experiencing some of them.
Heavy sense of concentration
Being able to focus on the work without getting distracted leads to a higher output of higher quality work.
Sense of clarity
In a state of flow, your body and mind will know what needs to be done without having to think about it.
Lack of obstacles
The thoughts and feelings that generally cloud our minds, such as stress, worry, and self-doubt, take a back seat when we achieve a flow state.
Good feelings
Being in a deep flow state is often described as an intrinsically positive experience. There is no superficiality driving this force, it’s just the pleasure that comes with being in the moment and doing something that you are passionate about.
Happiness
The type of happiness one can gain from being in a flow state goes beyond a temporary high — it is a general sense of well-being and a lasting sense of happiness and fulfilment.
So there you go! I love how the benefits of a flow space end with ‘fulfilment’ and that’s genuinely been my experience—I feel a tremendous sense of contentment, peace, happiness and fulfilment when I’ve worked in a flow state. Perhaps you could apply some of the above to your art, your craft, your work. Let me know how you go!
