lifehacker lifehacker LifeHacker LifeHacker Key to productivity improvement Conditions and how to prepare the environment to enter the "flow state"
Everyone should have the experience of being completely absorbed in the fun work.
I was fascinated by what was in front of me, and after hours had passed, I could only feel it for a few minutes. That is the feeling called "flow".
In general, you may think that you get fun when you are doing something that is passive, stress-free, and relaxing.
However, research has shown that greater fun and excitement is a difficult but rewarding behavior that allows you to make full use of your abilities and skills to accomplish something of value.
Now let's talk about how you can get into a "flow" state, increase your productivity, and increase your well-being while working.
What is flow theory?
Flow is a concept pioneered by psychologist Mihaly Csiksent Mihaly, one of the advocates of positive psychology.
In his own book, Chiksent Mihaly describes the flow as follows:
The flow state is also called "in the zone" in modern terms.
When you're in this state, you're completely absorbed in what's interesting and irresistible to you, and you don't feel tired or bored at all. Rather, it is exciting, full of energy, and immerses you in your actions.
It may be when you are solving a math problem. Sometimes you're playing the best music. Whatever the case, you'll be completely absorbed in the action, and you won't even notice the physical signs of hunger, drowsiness, thirst, and tiredness.
According to the flow theory, "the difficulty of the action" and "the balance of skills" must be well balanced.
If the difficulty is low and the skill is high, you will not know the energy and interest to tackle the action, you will feel bored, and you will not feel the excitement of your chest. On the other hand, it's very difficult and you can feel anxious and impatient if your skills can't keep up at that point.
What are the necessary conditions to experience the flow?
You can experience the flow in the middle of any action that you have to actively engage in.
Not only that, it is also important to be willing to accept the actions that you want to achieve without being willing to take the difficulty. When you want to experience the flow, the actions you work on need to include the following elements:
Studies have shown that most people experience the flow at work rather than at leisure.
If you're using an Apple device, it's a good idea to take full advantage of iOS's "intensive mode" and customize the settings for when you're working on a particular task.
That way, your device will block unwanted notifications while you're in the zone.
If you're using an Android device, use "focus mode" to pause the app so you can focus on what you're doing.
There are also some apps and extensions that will keep you from getting distracted while you're working on a difficult task.
No matter what task or goal you are in, you will surely find useful online content. The online learning platform "Coursera" offers a variety of courses that can be used to improve your skills, both for a fee and for free.
You may want to look for a site that is more niche and you can learn more.
For example, "eMathZone" is perfect for those who want to become a math expert and can learn a wide range of things from basics to more advanced applications. "Uplifted Yoga" is also recommended for those who want to improve their yoga style or who want to take yoga courses and continue learning.
If you feel the utmost pleasure in learning, why not get a degree? "Onlinedegree.com" will match your institution to your learning style. You can also take free courses and take advantage of discounts.
Working on the same task with your peers or in a group can be more difficult and more motivating.
Habit Share, an app for sharing goals and habits with friends, can motivate you and check each other to see if you're hungry.
You can also set reminders and customize your habits to suit your individual needs. More importantly, you can choose the habits you want to share with others.
It doesn't matter whether you're solving a math problem or mastering a new song. The important thing is to set specific goals and achieve a flow state.
There are tons of apps that can help you set goals, track and avoid derailments. You can combine the goal achievement app and the ToDo app to make a concrete plan to achieve the goal without waste.
Sometimes it's not the skills that get in the way of doing the task, but the lack of self-confidence and negative thinking.
The CBT Thought Diary app, which tracks your mood, helps you identify common negative thinking patterns, such as becoming more and more negative and jumping to conclusions. Not only that, it also helps you analyze and overcome negative thinking patterns.
Faced with negative thinking patterns, you will be able to recognize when you are about to fall into such thinking. As a result, you will not be disturbed in tackling or accomplishing tasks that are important to you.
Let's aim for the zone
Challenging yourself, trying to accomplish some task, or trying to master your skills can be daunting, but it's also uplifting.
Let's prepare as much as possible and prepare the optimum environment for the realization of the flow.
Image: Shutterstock
Source: ResearchGate, Coursera, eMATHZONE, Brett Larkin Yoga uplifted, ONLINE DEGREE.COM, Habit Share, CBT Thought Diary
Original Article: What Is the Flow Theory? How to Apply It to Improve Your Productivity by MakeUseOf
