How Do You Know When You're In Flow?

If you've ever found yourself in a super focused zone, that means you've experienced the flow state.

This surreal mental state was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian positive psychologist. His research found that people felt happier and more fulfilled while undertaking activities that had intrinsic value, got absorbed into them and that were adequately challenging to them.

In his bestselling book <Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience>, Mihaly identifies certain characteristics you'll experience when you're experiencing the flow state.

Here are the 6 common ones:

Phenomenon #1 Lack of Self Awareness

There is no room for thinking about your performance or doubting your abilities.

Athletes and peak performers push through discomfort to achieve their goal when they're in the flow. Their concentration is totally on the process.

This holds true for any activities, physical or mental, undertaken in the flow state.

The process is all, not the end goal.

Phenomenon #2 Super Focus and Concentration

You'll find that you're totally immersed in the task at hand with no room for thoughts, doubts, self-judgements, criticisms, fears or anything else.

This is because you are enjoying the challenges of the task and you're stimulating your entire being to tackle it. You feel self-motivated to reach the completion.

Phenomenon #3 No Blockages

By totally immersing yourself in the task and not thinking of anything else, there will be no self-doubt, fear, stress or anxiety.

While in the zone there are no negative emotions or states. All blocks to peak performance are removed. Being in the flow state is a positive, energized, beneficial, uplifting and powerful state.

Phenomenon #4 Insane Productivity

Tasks are completed half the time you normally need because your total absorption in what you are doing will double or even triple your productivity.

There is no breaks or stops to think about the process. You just go do it fearlessly and it seems to the outside world that you're dominating the work with not much effort.

Phenomenon #5 Time Flies

Time flies when you're having fun and this is absolutely true when you're being in the zone.

While you are in the flow state, you are not aware of the passing of time as you're totally sucked into another reality of peak creativity, productivity and activity.

You seem to be teleported to another dimension and it's hard for others to resist wondering where you have mentally gone.

Phenomenon #6 Dominating Energy

While in the flow state, you'll feel very positive and full of energy. You will be unstoppable like a warrior to crush through tasks after tasks and work relentlessly until the mission is accomplished.

If you want to feel happier and more fulfilled, then getting yourself into the zone and working in the flow state is definitely something you should train yourself to get into every day.

It doesn't have to be a full day of immersion. If all you can do it to get into the flow for 1-2 hours a day, you'll have already gained another few hours because of your extra productivity.

Recognize these 6 phenomena and have a mini celebration whenever you realize you've just been in a flow state!

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