Seeking Flow

As a young athlete I was fortunate to experience episodes during competition of an incredible feeling of timelessness and transcendence, with control, ability and success in my actions.  As a football player, I would get a feeling that I would succeed on the next play and in fact, something would happen and I would be nearly unstoppable, ultimately making a good play or scoring a touchdown.  Time would slow down and my awareness was heightened.  During basketball games, there were times when every shot would score and this similar feeling of inevitable success would permeate my being.  The effect on play would carry over into all aspects of the game, including defense, passing, rebounding and communication with teammates.  It was only later, when I heard professional athletes talk about being “in the zone” that I completely understood what they were talking about and what I had experienced.  Later, in college studying Psychology and I learned more about this fascinating phenomenon that was described in the literature in 1975 by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.  He studied it extensively and wrote articles and books about it as an achievable state that was correlated with true happiness.  It turns out this condition has been described in other cultures and settings for thousands of years and is clearly one of the truly joyful experiences of being human.  It is described in the concept of the “action of inaction” in Eastern philosophy, or in learning what work to do, what work to avoid, and how to achieve a state of calm detachment from your work.
 
Flow is a state of being that gives a person a sense of mastery and control over their actions, a sense of connection with the surroundings, and a sense of inevitable success in achieving a desired outcome.  Flow is often described in the setting of sports competition or artistic endeavors.  Athletes, artists, dancers and musicians fortunate enough to experience this feeling know that it brings a sense of confidence and a sense that you are in control and destined to win or create beauty.  This experience of flow certainly has biochemical causes as the individual begins to be successful, neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine are released in greater abundance and the sensation of invincibility and euphoria ensues.  The intense focus consumes the capacity of the mind to process data and hence awareness of input from other things like temperature, hunger, thirst and time sense is diminished. A boost in neurotransmitters and reaching the limit of the processing power of the brain is not the only explanation however.  There needs to be an underlying ability to perform at a high level, developed through practice, and then the realization of this potential occurs in an intense, focused and sustained burst of action.  It may be harder to achieve this degree of sensation outside the realm of intense competition or performance.  However, there is a less intense version of flow that is achievable and desirable as a state of living in the moment, confident in your choices and free from worry and stress.
 
Spontaneity is certainly a component of finding flow.  Flow states involve mental presence and engagement in the moment to moment happenings in the immediate surroundings.  Being present and engaged is necessary but not sufficient to find flow.  Reacting or not reacting to situations and other people is another component.  In other words, the ability to interact freely with what is going on around you, but maintaining judgment and filtering of thoughts and actions is an important aspect of true flow states. Flow incorporates adaptability and creativity.  Being able to adapt and adjust to the surroundings and circumstances is a big part of achieving a state of flow.  Adaptation requires creativity in your thinking, an openness to new ideas and fresh approaches to any situation.  Openness is the mindset that allows for this creative and adaptive approach.  Letting go of emotional hindrance is another part of achieving the flow state.  Shame, guilt, anxiety, and remorse serve an emotional purpose, but the ability to move past them, to find internal reconciliation and peace with these emotions, and finding a way to achieve self-forgiveness will free you to enter the zone of flow.  Respect for other people is helpful to really be in flow.  To be at your best, to communicate freely, easily, and most effectively, you should have a healthy respect for those around you.  In order to really be in the zone, try escaping from your electronic devices.  Get away from television, radio, computers and cellular devices.  Go outside, preferably in a place with some natural beauty.  Appreciate the quiet, or the company of your companion.  Take notice of what is around you and pay attention to the words and the unspoken gestures and expressions of anyone nearby.  Pay attention to animals, trees, flowers, grass.
 
As a physician, I seek to find the flow state in my daily work.  This is an immense challenge, and rarely achieved.  With the myriad tasks, responsibilities and interruptions, it is difficult to stay in a flow state.  For me, in the office, it starts with energy and focus.  If I am under the weather or sleep deprived, it’s not going to happen.  So preparation for the work day and self-care are the precursors.  Getting adequate rest, hydration and nutrition are the foundation.  A regular regimen of exercise is required to keep the body and mind functioning at their best.  Next, being emotionally calm and not distracted by personal issues is necessary.  This also helps maintain focus on the tasks at hand.  I find daily meditation has been helpful for making tremendous progress in this regard.  It allows me to compartmentalize more effectively, letting go of distractions, improving the ability to focus and concentrate.  For me meditation also virtually eliminates any anxiety which interferes with effective work performance.  Next, preparation for the work schedule is helpful.  In fact, the more I can stay caught up and on time with my work, the easier it is to stay caught up.  Another aspect of flow is communication.  Because care involves communication with people, both verbal and non-verbal, to be truly effective I need to be fully focused on the person.  I need to look at them and read what they are telling me with their words, their posture, their eyes, facial expressions and their affect.  I need to address their concerns first and foremost, and make time to discuss things that are important that they may not know or care much about.  It is important to have an understanding within the office that consultation time is precious and not to be interrupted if at all possible.  Communication also applies to interactions with office staff and colleagues.  During a flow state, communication remains positive, respectful, fun.  We can enjoy each others company, use humor and laughter to alleviate stress or monotony.  Communication becomes natural, easy, open, unburdened.  Necessary interruptions are taken in stride and dealt with smoothly. 

Communication may be entirely unspoken in a flow state.  Artists, dancers and musicians are known to achieve flow states in their work and their communication is through non-verbal means.  Surfers may achieve flow as they ride waves, and yet their communication is with nature.  Communication may be entirely emotional or based on feeling, rather than words.  Tai Chi and Yoga are examples of healthy activity that can involve entering a state of flow.  Runners certainly enter flow states, as well as hikers, bikers, swimmers and golfers.  You can enter flow while driving, or especially while riding a motorcycle or a horse.  Even video gamers may experience flow.  Any goal directed activity that requires skill, concentration, focus and involves loss of sense of time and self can induce the desirable state of flow.
 
Competence is necessary for flow.  Preparation and experience, as well as the ongoing study and education prepare you to do your task most effectively.  Being a teacher, mentoring younger people in training is another great way to stay engaged and current with the state of knowledge in your field.  Whatever line of work or hobby you do, when you can become an expert and share that expertise with others, you have an opportunity to enter a state of flow and perform at your best.  Even with preparation, self-care, knowledge and skill acquisition, attitude and willingness, achieving flow may be difficult.  Nonetheless, it is a state worth pursuing and we can set up the conditions to spend more of our time in it.  It starts by seeking it, by immersing yourself in activities that are challenging and require skill.  It emerges by enhancing your focus and concentration, as well as your spontaneity and adaptive flexibility.  It can occur in many different realms of life, including work, active leisure time, during exercise, artistic pursuits, and in your social interactions.  It is a state of being that enhances the experience of living.  It is a state that embodies and realizes the potential within you.  When you are able to fully realize your potential, even in small bursts, it makes life all the more worthwhile.  It makes you feel useful, necessary, relevant, connected and happy.