Flow state: how challenge and skill can lead to ecstasy
Becoming fully immersed in what we are doing, to the extent that hours feel like minutes, is an invigorating experience. Knowing how to optimise what positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi calls the flow state can help us experience some of our happiest, most creative and productive moments. Learn more about the characteristics, key aspects, growth and productivity related to flow, and about flowing in a group context.
Imagine you are riding a bicycle on a steep descent. You are fully focused on your movements, your control over the bike, the wind against your cheeks and the environment flashing past. You know if something distracts you right now you may lose your balance, but you savour the moment and wish it would last forever.
Perhaps cycling is not your thing, but you may have experienced complete immersion in a game of chess, singing in a choir, or jogging. If you are passionate about your job, this can occur while you’re negotiating a challenging deal. These moments are highlights in the uniformity of our everyday existence.
Passive pleasures, such as sun-bathing or watching TV, may be pleasurable, but - according to the American positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi - this form of happiness depends on external circumstances. The joy characterising an experience such as the cycling example is a different matter entirely, because both body and soul are involved.
Even though it requires energy, it does not feel like work. On the contrary: we get carried away. This is known as a flow state. Athletes call it being “in the zone”, software developers “wired in”, and stock market operators “in the pipe”.
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (pronounced Me high Cheek sent me highee) developed his flow theory in the seventies. Mihály grew up during World War II, and the suffering he witnessed prompted him to find out what makes people truly happy. Decades of research has shown that people's happiest, most creative and most productive moments are those during which they stretch themselves to the limit physically or mentally, in a deliberate effort to achieve a goal that is challenging but of great significance to them. "In this state, people become so engrossed in what they do that nothing else matters."
Features of the flow state
Flow can occur among people of any gender, age, class, or culture, and during a wide range of activities. According to research results, about 20% of respondents experience flow up to five times a day, while 15% never experience it. Flow only occurs when you are engaged in an activity that you really enjoy, and is associated with a combination of the following characteristics:
an intense focus on the here and now
a complete absence of reflective awareness of yourself - action and awareness merge
inner clarity regarding the purpose and requirements of the activity; a game such as tennis, which has a clear set of goals and rules, increases the chances of a flow experience
experiencing a certain amount of control over the situation, largely determined by your skills
knowing that you can succeed in this situation
immediate feedback; you have a good idea of your progress and can easily make adjustments while working
feelings of deep joy or ecstasy
an experience of peace and feeling that you are part of something bigger
the absence of worry - what you do, flows spontaneously
time becomes irrelevant, as well as needs such as hunger or fatigue
being engaged in the activity is sufficient reward; it is not merely a means to an end such as money or recognition.
Challenge, skill and 8 emotional states
Whether someone - like the cyclist in our example - will experience flow in that particular situation, is determined by the relationship between two key aspects:
his perception of the extent of the challenge versus
his experience of his cycling skills.
Imagine a graph with a vertical axis, the challenge level, and a horisontal axis, the skill level.
Mihály uses this model to explain how the interrelationship between challenge on the one hand and skill on the other hand can result in eight emotional states.
Remember that what is considered challenging will vary from situation to situation and will be different of different people. Our level of skill pertaining to the field in question is also unique.
The eight emotional states which Mihály identified are apathy, boredom, relaxation, worry, anxiety, control, arousal and flow.
1. Apathy is associated with an activity that you can perform automatically and that poses no challenge at all. In our example, it could be picking up your bike.
2. Boredom involves an activity that requires some skill but does not pose a challenge - such as pumping the bicycle’s tyres.
3. Relaxation is associated with an activity that requires a high level of skill but poses little challenge, such as cycling along a fairly difficult route which you have already mastered.
4. Worry lies half-way along the challenge axis. The activity requires little skill, but you are concerned. This negativity probably resides in your mind. Perhaps you need to change the chain on your bike and feel worried because you’ve never done this before.
5. Anxiety is associated with an activity that requires little skill but involves a high level of challenge. You fear the challenge is too great. During a short, easy bike ride you may be caught in a thunderstorm. Anxiety can cause you to freeze or stagnate.
6. Control is associated with an activity that also falls halfway along the challenge axis but requires a relatively high degree of skill. You feel in control because you have already developed the necessary skill. You may be negotiating a difficult bike route but know you can handle it.
7. Arousal involves an activity that is highly challenging and requires moderate skill. It forces you to pay attention to your surroundings. You tackle a challenging route and believe you can master it, but are aware tha you need to be vigilant.
8. Flow is the state in which the challenge is almost too great and your skills are well-developed but stretched to the limit. You need to be fully focused on the here and now to complete the activity successfully, such as the cyclist in our example who speeds down the steep descent. Getting it right contributes to the feeling of ecstasy.
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How to optimise the potential for flow
Flow is not something you can turn on and off at will, but you can optimise the conditions to achieve this state. The secret, according to Mihály, is to ensure that the activity presents a significant challenge and requires the maximum skill.
If you feel in control (no. 6) - comfortable, but not really excited - you can take on a bigger challenge in order to achieve flow.
If you experience arousal (no. 7), you can intentionally improve your skills to make flow more likely.
The flow state and ecstasy
Where does the ecstasy during flow come from? Many people who experience flow say that they merge with the experience to such an extent that the boundaries of their existence blur. These people aren’t exaggerating, Mihály explains in his 2004 TED talk.
“Our nervous system can only process about 110 bits of information per second. If you are really immersed in what you are doing, you do not have enough attention left to realise that you are hungry or sleepy.”
Flow and skill
“People with flow experiences say it feels as if they are working effortlessly, even though the level of challenge involved is above average. When they are creating something new, flow can only occur if they are particularly skilled. In the field of creativity, it is generally accepted that it takes about ten years of technical and knowledge deepening before you can produce something that's better than that which went before.”
Is flow related to certain personality traits?
Yes! Flow is easier for people with a so-called autotelic personality. They typically do things because they enjoy it rather than in pursuit of an external goal such as money or recognition. They possess meta-skills such as an intense interest in life, perseverance, and a low degree of self-centeredness. Conscientious people spend more time mastering challenging tasks and their skill makes flow more likely.
Flow and creativity
Flow experiences are linked to growth - in a flow state we become better at mastering the challenging activity, which also boosts productivity. Flow feeds creativity and vice versa. The end product is of a high quality, which in turn promotes self-confidence. No wonder flow experiences correlate strongly with outstanding achievements in fields such as sports, arts and science.
Can people flow together?
Flow is not necessarily an individual experience; people can flow in a group.
Mihály describes how jazz musicians playing together may kick off with conventional musical elements, then go on to introduce spontaneous variations and create an exciting new composition. Drummers call this shared flow state “entrainment” or “getting into the groove”; bass guitarists describe it as “being in the pocket”.
Where do you start when you want to experience the flow state?
In the article Finding Flow on www.psychologytoday.com, Mihály writes: “Any activity that leads to flow requires the investment of psychic energy before it becomes enjoyable. Let's develop the habit of concentrating properly on the task at hand so that we can find joy in the here and now.”
This article was originally written for rooi rose.
Images: Unsplash.