Use the Eight Elements of the ‘Flow State’ to Be More Productive

You hear people talk about working in a “flow state,” but what does that mean? Before you start thinking of it as one of those corporate jargon phrases that is so widespread that it loses any meaning it ever had, it’s worth knowing that it’s a “real” thing, backed by plenty of psychological research. Essentially, being in a state of flow allows you to work more effectively on what you’re focusing on.

What is flow theory?

Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi proposed this theory in 1970, suggesting that a flow state is similar to that of a person floating, carried by water: their brain works so efficiently that it moves straight toward a task without problem, almost as if it is propelled forward.

He spent his time interviewing artists and athletes at the top of their game to understand when and how they performed optimally – and how ordinary people can also achieve a state of flow. He wrote several books on the subject, but for our purposes here, you don’t need to ingest them all. The most important thing is to understand the eight main features of flow theory.

The basics of flow theory

Csíkszentmihályi’s work ultimately describes eight clear characteristics of flow:

1. You are completely focused on your task.

2. You have clear goals in mind and can get immediate feedback.

3. Time seems to be transforming, whether it speeds up or slows down.

4. The work is intrinsically rewarding.

5. There is a feeling of ease or ease.

6. The work is demanding, but you have the necessary skills.

7. You are not embarrassed; actions and awareness work together.

8. You feel like you are in control of the task.

This may remind you of the concept of “deep work“, which is author/professor Cal Newport’s definition of performing demanding tasks when you are fully absorbed in them and not distracted. The two concepts are similar, but to achieve this you need to do certain things. It is clear from the list of flow characteristics above that mastery and resources play an important role in whether you feel in a flow state when you work. Obviously, you will probably only achieve this state if you are doing something for which you are completely prepared, so Don’t aim for this if you’re going to do something that requires input from other people, resources you don’t have, or skills you don’t possess. You can quickly get ripped out of it if, for example, you’re waiting for a colleague to email you something you need for the project, which can throw off your entire day (for a better understanding of this, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the difference between downtime and idle time.)

When trying to achieve a flow state, plan for when you need to complete a major, demanding task. For example, when planning your Task List 1-3-5 For the day, your one big task should be one for which you are fully prepared and have all the resources. Keep Carlson’s law– the idea that any work you try to do while distracted will be suboptimal – in mind as well; You can’t work, let alone move around, if you’re pulled in multiple directions, so plan your big task to coincide with a time when you have nothing else to do and can give it your full attention. Use timeboxing to allocate this time in your schedule, minute by minute, and, if you can, make your calendar publicly visible so that people in your organization know you are not available.

When I explored adopting this mindset in my own life, I discovered that my biggest blocker was dealing with distractions, especially those coming from my phone (no surprise). Almost counterintuitively, I found two apps useful: Steppin, which blocks my access to distracting apps unless I trade in the time I’ve accumulated by walking around in the real world; and Focus Pomo, which blocks all other apps whenever I’m in a “focus session.”

So, if You are you’re working hard on something but you don’t feel like you’re reaching any sort of flow state, refer to the features list to see what’s missing. Are you distracted? You don’t have the opportunity to get immediate feedback? Are you missing a necessary resource? Is the job too demanding for your skills or perhaps not even enough to hold your attention? Identifying the feature you’re missing the most will help you solve the problem and get you closer to your path to major productivity.