"Flow": Learning to Recognize Intrinsically Motivating Experiences

Have you ever been so engaged in an activity that you lost touch with your surroundings and felt intense joy and satisfaction after the activity was over? Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes this experience of highest satisfaction as being in a state of “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; Csikszentmihalyi, 1999). According to him, an individual in a state of flow-

• Exactly knows what they have to do moment by moment, either because the activity requires it, or because clear goals are set at every step of the way.
• Gets immediate feedback on their performance either from the activity itself or from their internalized standards.
• Feels that the activity matches with their skill set, it being neither too hard and nor too easy so as not to lead to anxiety or boredom, respectively.

Athletes, painters, and other creative people have described this state as an ecstatic feeling or a feeling of contentment. The person in a state of flow pays undivided attention to the task at hand to the exclusion of other things happening in their own bodies or external environment. There is a feeling of spontaneity, with loss of sense of time, and the task appears to “flow” on by itself. Flow taps into your intrinsic motivation and is a more powerful motivator than external rewards. Flow is not limited to sports or creative arts. We all have experienced this state when we get so immersed in activities that give us a sense of pleasure or mastery that we are oblivious to our surroundings. In these situations, we don’t focus on the outcome of the activity as the effort of doing the activity is in itself rewarding. People experience these states of flow in their work and personal life – working on your presentation, preparing your report, crunching some numbers, talking to your clients, reading a book to your kids, cooking with your family, engaging in your hobbies, or meditating. People often in flow tend to report more positive emotions overall and feel that their lives are more purposeful and meaningful (Csikszentmihalyi, 1999). Don’t confuse the concept of flow with the adage “going with the flow,” which means ceding oneself to a situation. Flow is also not to be confused with sensual pleasure.

Flow may not lend itself to easy recognition because the experience itself may not be particularly pleasurable when it happens. As an afterthought of a flow moment, a person may say, "That really was fun," or "I wish I could do this more often." Thinking about the past few weeks, ask yourself the following questions about the moments when you were totally focused on what you were doing and possibly lost track of time (Tarragona, 2015):

• “What was I doing”?
• “Where was I”?
• “Who was I with?”
• “What was at least one skill I put into action at that time?”
• “How challenging was this activity for me?”
• “How much skill do I feel I had for this activity?”
• “After examining my flow versus non-flow activities and knowing the kind of person I am, and the interests and skills I have, what are the most rewarding flow activities for me”?

Sometimes, it may take a trip down memory lane to recount some of your flow experiences, including hobbies or other interests you gave up due to work or other obligations. Watch out for “junk” or “faux” flow – binge-watching TV shows, video games, idle gossip, etc. These tasks may superficially resemble flow in that they are engaging and absorbing, but they lack the element of challenge and don’t leave you feeling invigorated or satisfied. Flow activities are typically where you stretch your skills to your limits to pursue a challenging goal, and both the challenge and skills are well-matched. Contrary to popular notion, research suggests that most flow experiences occur at work and not while one is engaged in leisure activities (Csikszentmihalyi & LeFevre, 1989). While it is impossible to be in a continuous state of flow at work, juxtaposing non-flow tasks with flow tasks will keep your intrinsic motivation up and prevent boredom. In fact, flow activities promote well-being and resilience at work by fostering a sense of autonomy (Rivkin et al., 2018). In addition, these activities serve as a valuable tool for preventing burnout and can also be used as a component of Behavioral Activation, a proven treatment for depression. 

Check out Dr. Duggal's Author Page to learn more about evidence-based self-management techniques that promote mental health.

HARPREET S. DUGGAL, MD, FAPA

REFERENCES

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper and Row.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). If we are so rich, why aren’t we happy? American Psychologist, 54(10), 821-827.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. & LeFevre, J. (1989). Optimal experience in work and leisure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(5), 815-822.

Rivkin, W., Diestel, S. & Schmidt, K., H. (2018). Which daily experiences can foster well-being at work? A diary study on the interplay between flow experiences, affective commitment, and self-control demands. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 23(1), 99-111.

 
Tarragona, M. (2015). Positive identities: Narrative practices and positive psychology. San Bernardino, CA: Positive Acorn.