The State of Flow
Have you ever become so absorbed in your work that the passing of time escaped your notice? While it may be uncommon for most individuals, being completely immersed in a task is referred to as being in a state of Flow. According to my experience, it's one of the secrets to workplace happiness, and as a great benefit, it not only lowers stress levels but also boosts productivity.
Sadio Maxwell works in a factory that produces audiovisual equipment and he is feeling inactive on his job. As the movie projectors pass in front of him on the assembly line, he is distracted and can hardly keep up the rhythm of moves necessary for soldering the connections that are his responsibility. usually he can do his part of the job with time to spare and then relax for a while to exchange few jokes before the next stops at his station. But today he is struggling, and occasionally he slows down the entire line. when the man at the next station kids him about it Sadio snaps back irritably. From morning to quitting time tension keeps building, and it spills over to his relationship with his co-workers.
Sadio's problem is simple, almost trivial, but it has been weighing heavily on his mind. One evening a few days earlier he noticed on arriving home from work that one of his tires was quite low. Next morning the rim of the wheel was almost touching the ground. Sadio would not receive his paycheck till the end of the following week, and he was certain he would not have enough money until then to have the tire patched up, let alone buy a new one. Credit was something he had not yet learned to use. The factory was out in suburbs, about twenty miles from where he lived, and he simply had to reach it by 8:00AM. The only solution Sadio could think of was to drive gingerly to the service station in the morning, fill the tire with air, and then drive to work as quickly as possible. After work the tire was low again, so he inflated it at a gas station near the factory and drove home.
On the the morning in question, he had been doing this for three days, hoping the procedure would work until the next paycheck. But today, by the time he made it to the factory, he could hardly steer the car because the wheel with the bum tire was so flat. All through the day he worried: "Will I make it home tonight? How will I get to work tomorrow morning?" These questions kept intruding in his mind, disrupting concentration on his work and throwing a pall on his moods.
Sadio is a good example of what happens when the internal order of self is disrupted. The basic pattern is always the same: some information that conflicts with an individual's goals appears in consciousness.
Positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi mentioned in his book "Flow" that whenever information disrupts consciousness by threatening its goals we have a condition of inner disorder, or psychic entropy, a disorganization of the self that impairs it effectiveness. Prolonged experiences of this kind can weaken the self to the point that it is not longer able to invest attention and pursue its goals.
There are difficulties we don't anticipate, so how can we keep the necessary focus when they do arise? Check in a previous newsletter for more information on how mindfulness may be quite helpful in this situation. Additionally, I advise you to connect with others who hold ideals that are similar to your own. We all need a shoulder to lean on, which is why companionship is so crucial. [More views would be appreciated in the comment section]
Mihaly shared a study on how people feels when their experience is most positive. First, the experience usually occurs when we confront tasks we have a chance of completing. Second, we must be able to concentrate on what we are doing. Third and fourth, the concentration is usually possible because the task undertaken has clear goals and provides immediate feedback. Fifth, one acts with a deep but effortless involvement that removes from awareness the worries and frustrations of everyday life. Sixth, enjoyable experiences allow people to exercise a sense of control over their actions. Seventh, concern for the self disappears, yet paradoxically the sense of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over. Finally, the sense of the duration of time is altered; hours pass by in minutes, and minutes can stretch out to seem like hours. The combination of all these elements causes a sense of deep enjoyment that is so rewarding people feel that expending a great deal of energy is worthwhile simply to be able to feel it.
When you are immersed in a task instead of doing it because you feel obligated to, you enter the state of Flow. You consider yourself as having a duty to do so. I found that doing what you love increases your ability to focus and experience flow. The desire to see the issue resolved is sparked if you are happy with what you are doing. The more invested you become in the task, the more eagerly you look forward to the outcome.
I will next share on thought patterns.