Out of the Flow

As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I just feel rather "out of synch" with life. At these times, I can't quite put my finger on what the problem might be, but I continue to have an unsettling feeling that things are not as they should be. That's why it was somewhat reassuring to hear Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talking about the necessary factors for a flow experience, or as he would describe it "completely focused motivation . . . perhaps the ultimate experience in harnessing the emotions in the service of performing and learning."

When I learned more about what it takes to be "in the zone" or "on a roll," it was obvious to me why I sometimes struggle to be there.


1. Knowing What to Do -- If you want to experience "flow," you must know what to do, i.e., the next step. For a musician, it's the next note. For a chef, it's the next ingredient. For a surgeon, it's the next cut. For a dancer or athlete, it's the next step or action. In our day-to-day lives, it's sometimes much more difficult to discern what to do. When we struggle with uncertainty, we are not "flowing."

2. Knowing How to Do It -- Then there's the matter of skill or ability. It's not enough to know what to do, you also must be able to do it. For instance, a basketball player may know he needs to go for a lay up, but if he lacks the ability to execute this move, anxiety is more likely than flow. 

3. Knowing How Well You are Doing -- Feedback is critical for flow. If you want to be in the zone, you need to have some idea if your performance is on target. Is your pitch on key? Did the ball hit it's intended target? How does the soup taste? If you find yourself in a situation where it's hard to know how you're doing, to measure the impact of your efforts, then you will likely struggle with flow. It might be a good thing for parents, supervisors and spouses to remember--children, employees and partners all need to get feedback in order to feel good about their efforts.

4 & 5.High Perceived Challenges and High Perceived Skills -- According to Csikszentmihalyi, regardless of whether it's a game of chess or tennis, being fairly matched with one's opponent or task difficulty is key for flow to occur. Too little challenge, e.g., if your opponent is much weaker than you, and you're bored. Too much challenge and your anxiety increases to the point where your performance suffers and you may decide to give up altogether. We might think about that as it applies to daily life and work. Not enough challenge and you likely feel bored. Too much challenge and the stress can become overwhelming, especially if you feel your skills are not well-matched to the problems you are facing.

6. Freedom from Distractions -- When I got to this one I knew why I so often had difficulty achieving a flow-like experience in an average day at work. Amidst a constant stream of email, unexpected phone calls, charts piling up on my desk, and knocks at my door, I recognized one of the great enemies of flow--frequent interruption. If we want to experience flow, we must have distraction free zones for at least a portion of our day.

More Frequent Flow
More frequent flow is desirable for stress reduction and positive outlook, but how is this possible for an average person? Over the years, I've developed a few helpful strategies. While the things that work for me won't fit everyone, I will share a few I've found helpful.

Get up early enough to start the day alone and without interruptions. Even when our home was full of child-centered activity, those precious moments in the morning without the distraction of others generally helped me start the day in a positive and focused state of mind. Of course, night owls are free to try this at the end of the day, but rising late usually increases the likelihood one will begin the day with chaos. Morning people will find they also want to go to bed earlier if they make early morning quiet a habit.

Get to work before others arrive. To really get something done, I find that being alone at work, in the morning before others arrive, has great benefits. I can usually accomplish more in an hour at that time than I might the rest of the day.

Schedule time for flow activities you enjoy at work. Although much of my work is administrative, I still continue to do some therapy. As a therapist, I know what to do and I know how to do it. The problems are often significant, but I find my skills are generally up for the challenge. Best of all, during the hour I'm with a client, there are no distractions. I love it that no one can bother me during that time frame. When I'm focusing my efforts as a therapist, I'm often in the flow. At the end of the hour, I'm tired, but I also experience a deep level of satisfaction from having helped someone.

Save time for flow activities outside of work. To be at my best at work, I find I need to reserve time for flow activities at home. Working in the garden, hiking, cooking, reading a good book, sewing, and writing are all activities where I can lose track of time. If I fail to set aside time for one or more of these activities on a regular basis, I do feel out of synch. It's hard to concentrate at work and I often feel edgy or irritable. Funny how we need flow for work and for pleasure.

When do you experience flow? How do arrange your life to make time for it to happen? What suggestions would you give to others? Let me know and I'll share them.

Feeling more in the flow,

Dr. Jennifer Baker