Many times we see people who are capable of everything, they work, study, have a social life, and free time, and we hardly do an activity and we are exhausted, what happens to us? Perhaps all this can be explained with a concept of positive psychology called Flow.
Flow is a concept coined by the psychologist Csikszentmihalyi in 1999 and that in Spanish it does not have a word to express this idea, so we have acquired it from English.
Flow is a state that is defined as an optimal experience where an individual is motivated and able to carry out a challenging activity, But not only that, but while the individual is in this state, he concentrates in such a way that he loses track of time and also tries his best to achieve his goals without realizing it..
Many of us would like to be in this state, since it would allow us to give the most of ourselves without hardly making an effort, since we would be immersed in the activity and we would also achieve good results.
Initially, the research on Flow focused on dancers, artists, climbers ... in short, on people whose activity provides them with a high level of enjoyment.
Currently the latest studies on Flow indicate that Flow can be experienced in any work environment, as long as the activities carried out are inherently rewarding. That is, there are subjects who experience Flow more easily such as actors, athletes and others..
However, there are also people who experience Flow as administrators, cashiers or translators, which opens a whole range of possibilities so that anyone in any environment can experience Flow and give the best of themselves with little effort, as we have said., you just have to do intrinsically rewarding activities.
It means that the person is enjoying the task itself and is not doing it just for the purpose of accomplishing it. This is sometimes very complicated, especially in tedious tasks that are difficult for us, and that we think we only do for the mere fact that they are an obligation..
However, it is possible to enjoy almost any task, since human beings by nature need to do things to be happy, we just have to look for that point where Flow occurs in the task.
The first thing to find that point, almost essential, is that the skills presented by the person are in balance with the demands of the task. If a task is extremely difficult for a person, it will never produce Flow, will only produce anxiety and stress, On the contrary, if it is too easy, it will not be a challenge, and it will not cause Flow.
This state of Flow is closely related to well-being and happiness, Since while we experience it, apart from the benefit of meeting our objectives, feeling Flow is very pleasant and makes us feel happy with our life.
Looking for that way that the activities are intrinsically rewarding, the next thing we should focus on is that the activity we are doing is interesting to us, since in this way Flow status will appear naturally, increasing personal productivity.
The goals that we set ourselves while we carry out the activity they are also very important if we want to reach this state. It is necessary that these objectives are clear and achievable, this is closely related to what we talk about before being in balance with the demands of the task, if we set very difficult and unattainable objectives, or that they are unclear, the Flow will not arise for long. that we like the activity we do.
Of course, in order to get to feel Flow, the moment we work is also very important, it has to be the right time for it. where there are no distractions. If there are continuous interruptions that do not allow us to focus on the activity, you will never reach that moment of Flow.
Also the attention It is very necessary to feel Flow, you should try to keep it on task, at first it is normal that it costs you more, but as you do it, it will cost less and you will be able to keep your attention longer on what you are doing.
Do not forget that it is important have other needs covered Like not being hungry or thirsty or wanting to go to the bathroom to feel Flow, these little things can distract our attention and not allow us to reach that state of Flow.
Last but not least, you have to focus on the processes and not the result, Flow is related to the tasks, with the process in how it is done, not in the result that will be achieved with that process.
Flow focuses on the present, not the future. If we are not able to focus and enjoy what we are doing at that moment, because we are distracted thinking about the result, we will not be able to feel Flow.
Flow seems to be a feeling typical of some privileged, however it really is not so much, you just have to know how to provoke and attract it. As we have seen, it can be attracted in practically all tasks as long as some basic principles are respected:
If we comply with these parameters, it is likely that we will feel Flow in the activities we carry out, and that we will feel lucky, happy, and we can give the maximum in the activities that are presented to us to get to feel like authentic superhumans.
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