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For many, "work-life balance" is nothing more than a luxurious fantasy. Under the influence of materialism, everyone seems to aim for wealth as the ultimate goal in life, with income apparently being the only purpose of work. Even when we land a job that matches our interests, a relentless drive for perfection can sometimes leave us gasping for air. If work takes up such a large part of our lives, does it have to be synonymous with stress and pain? Positive psychology informs us that work can indeed bring us happiness, and the key to this is the concept of “flow” or "flow state."
"Flow" is a psychological state introduced by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow state is a vivid descriptor, referring to the mental state of being fully focused and deeply immersed in an activity, with no other motivation than the sheer act of doing it. In this state, behavior and thought advance naturally, with one's mind and body 'flowing' along with the task at hand.
Flow state is associated with the following sensations (Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 2014):
1) High concentration on the task you are doing.
2) The ability to perform actions seemingly without conscious thought.
3) A feeling of being capable of handling any situation that may arise during the work.
4) A sensation that time is passing more quickly than normal.
5) A sense of satisfaction derived from the work itself.
There are two conditions necessary to achieve flow state (Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 2014):
1) The task must be challenging, yet the difficulty should not exceed one's ability, requiring full engagement to handle (Just-manageable challenges).
2) The task should provide immediate feedback upon completion of each step, indicating whether it was done well or poorly. For example, completing a row or a large section in Sudoku informs you that you are progressively accomplishing your goal and solving the difficulties, bringing a sense of fulfillment.
From this, we can see that flow state is a state of contentment achieved during the work process, and this contentment does not stem from salary or commendation from superiors or colleagues, but from the work itself. This sense of satisfaction allows us to invest ourselves in the work, achieving a mental state of release and temporarily forgetting our worries, while still actively working. In fact, based on the research in positive psychology, flow state is not exclusive to work; engaging in activities that you are interested in, familiar with, and find challenging, such as chess, puzzles, or any sport, can also induce flow.
After studying the theory of flow state in positive psychology and observing how different people enter this state, Csikszentmihalyi concluded that individuals with an autotelic personality are more likely to enter and maintain a flow state. An autotelic personality includes several abilities, such as curiosity about different aspects of life, perseverance, and being unselfish. These abilities make it easier for a person to find intrinsic motivation in an activity and to enjoy the work itself, which is a necessary condition for entering flow state.
Indeed, this resonates with another positive psychology concept—the growth mindset (Dweck, 2015). A growth mindset involves the belief that intelligence and talent can be developed over time. When mistakes are made, such individuals accept criticism and objectively find the cause of failure, like "I didn't spend enough time studying" instead of "I'm too dumb," avoiding the blaming of immutable factors.
From positive psychology, experiencing flow state not only brings satisfaction during work but also offers the following benefits:
1) Positive Emotional Experiences – Engaging in activities you love and reaching flow state not only generates pleasant emotions but also allows you to put aside worries and other negative emotions due to the intense focus on the task.
2) Improved Work Efficiency and Performance – Research indicates that the average corporate employee experiences flow for only about 5% of their workday. However, when this figure is increased to 15%, productivity can double!
3) Enhanced Creativity – In flow state, since one temporarily sets aside daily distractions and constraints, inspirations and creativity can soar.
4) Fostering Skill Improvement – Flow state drives individuals to persist and face difficulties, leading to significant advancements in personal skills. Thus, if we aim to learn or master a skill, we should continuously seek out challenges and enjoy overcoming them for rapid progress.
To effectively enter a flow state at work, it's important to establish achievable, well-defined goals and receive prompt feedback as tasks are completed, based on positive psychology. MindForest serves as your AI-powered coach, guiding you in setting these objectives and evaluating your tasks efficiently. This assistance is designed to facilitate your journey into flow state, unlocking a higher level of productivity. Here are the key features of MindForest:
1) Tailored Goal Setting with AI: MindForest specializes in crafting perfectly balanced tasks that are sufficiently challenging to engage you fully, yet well within your capabilities—paving the way to flow state.
2) Intuitive Task Management via Checklists: The app provides a streamlined checklist system for organizing your daily responsibilities. As you check off completed tasks, you'll visually track your progress, tackling challenges step by step and cultivating a deep sense of accomplishment.
3) Performance Insights with AI Journaling: MindForest offers a reflective space to assess your task execution with the guidance of the AI coach with positive psychology. This feature encourages you to self-evaluate promptly, offering actionable feedback that fosters consistent growth and mastery.
Download MindForest now, and achieve flow state for your peak performance.
Actually, entering flow state is not about relaxation or rest; rather, it's about being fully committed and employing all of one's skills to tackle challenges. Finding intrinsic motivation in various activities is not determined solely by innate ability or preferences but more so by a mindset of unyielding perseverance in the face of challenges and finding satisfaction in the process of overcoming them—that is the essence of flow, in positive psychology.
I believe that I once achieved flow state in high school while completing a particularly difficult programming assignment. Despite the high level of difficulty and the constant need to Google and try out new techniques, not to mention the mysterious bugs that popped up, resolving each bug step by step led to a sense of satisfaction rather than frustration, and hours passed by in an instant.
Explained by the concept of flow state in positive psychology, before solving a bug, I did not know if they were capable of resolving it on my own, nor how long it would take to fix it. But a just-manageable challenge actually requires one to believe in their own problem-solving ability. Sometimes, challenges or setbacks can only be assessed after attempts. By persevering and objectively reviewing errors, affirming one's own abilities while solving difficulties, one may gradually come to experience flow state.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, R. (2014). Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (Vol. 10, pp. 978-94). Dordrecht: Springer.
Dweck, C. (2015). Carol Dweck revisits the growth mindset. Education week, 35(5), 20-24.
