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Cognitive Science

The Science of “Flow States”

Author:NeuroGym Team

For those that have stumbled into the secret of flow states, their lives have never been the same since.

Whether figuring out how to get into a flow state was found accidentally, or you stumbled upon this article, you too are going to feel the same effect!

Imagine how different your life would be should you fully immerse yourself into every task that you do. You could finally pay off that house you signed up for and possibly even start a trust fund for your son or daughter.

What a flow state does is enhance your focus, letting you block out every distraction, person, and inanimate object that is in your direct environment. For the time that you are in a flow state, there are only two areas of concern: you and your task.

It’s time to get given the holy grail of productivity—the outline and method of what will make you exceptional. Have you always wanted to be the best? Well, with this article, you will be able to attain that goal!

The Secret to Flawless Concentration and Focus

When people want to see progress in their lives, it is very rare that they want the entire world to be turned in one day. Naturally, all you want to see is a bit of progress. This is exactly what you will find should you achieve a flow state.

Better yet, you will see progress—even if you use only an increment of a flow state. Being completely within a flow state will leave you making leaps toward your aspirations and breaking down any barriers that find themselves in your path.

When you pick up a task, many find that they can remain focused for a few minutes, and then, they start noticing distractions. If it isn’t the kids shouting outside, it is the sound of your fish tank circulating water. Everything becomes a distraction.

However, with a flow state, you are establishing a sense of stability in your mind that enhances focus, eliminates distractions, and completely removes any challenges that stand between you and being fully immersed in your craft.

You will find yourself thinking clearer, coming up with new content a lot more readily, and even making decisions in a calm manner. These decisions may be of the same weight that would’ve caused you immense anxiety in the past.

You may even notice that you are fine-tuned to be able to recognize almost any error that you would’ve overlooked if you were outside a flow state. Every feeling, action, and interaction carries more meaning. It is literally you against the world.

What Is a Flow State?

Imagine taking control of your day in such a way that you achieve everything you have set out to achieve. That is the end result of being in a flow state. Extreme focus is the core of a flow state, and it is what everyone aims to achieve.

However, a flow state does not occur purely based on whether you are performing a normal, everyday task. You won’t get into a state of intense concentration by merely washing the dishes. You’ll need a task that would usually challenge you.

Whether it be starting a new sport such as swimming or taking up a new instrument, the more you plan on learning, the more focused your flow state will become. Just imagine walking into a room and playing an instrument for hours on end with no distractions.

What is unique and mind-boggling about being in a flow state is that not only are you eliminating any environmental distractions while you work, but you will start entering into these flow states unconsciously and without any prompts.

The higher the intensity and difficulty of the challenge, the higher the amount of skill that is required. As you develop that skill, your flow states will become more intense and of longer durations. Practice makes perfect, and your flow states will help get you there.

How Can I Achieve It?

Achieving a flow state is more than needing to tell your brain that it is time to focus. There are definitely a few common conditions you need to meet. One of the first conditions is honestly and genuinely caring about the task and/or challenge at hand.

Other than ensuring that the task is something you are good at, as well as it being of significant difficulty, you need to ensure that the mindset that you have about this task is direct and very specific.

What this means is that you need to know what success you want this task to bring you. Is it a step forward toward your next promotion or maybe a few minutes off your personal best run in the two-mile race? It’s all about aligning your personal vision.

Make sure that you are able to identify all of the factors that make up your passion. What makes you feel good? What environments do you work best in? You need to be intentional with where you work and what the value of your work is to you.

Looking at a few tips regarding getting yourself into the zone, you can start off by doing something that you love. Not only does doing something you love satisfy your mind’s craving for something challenging, but you know you are able to do it.

Many find that creating a ritual includes the single most important task at the top of the list, creates a mindset that takes a one-mile sprint, and breaks it down into increments that decrease in length. Multitasking makes matters so much worse.

What is meant by this is that as soon as you are able to sprint 60% of the mile, you know you can sprint the rest of the way. Why? Because you have already done it before!

A challenge seems impossible until you realize your own capabilities via a flow state. However, with challenges comes planning. With planning comes knowing and identifying your peak times of creativity and productivity for maximum flow state effectiveness.

What Environments and Habits Do I Need?

You need to eliminate distractions—that is the core point here. You need to create an environment that is both peaceful and productive. Clutter never works—no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that it does.

If your phone is the problem, put it on silent or use a focus mode to ensure only your loved ones can get through to you. Better yet, set your phone up in such a way that you have limited screen time for specific apps.

Being intentional and habitual with your morning routines gears you up for the start of the day and how it is going to play out. If you start your morning with stress and overwhelm, chances are that your day may continue that way.

Learn how you can retrain your brain for success by joining the Brain-A-Thon! This FREE brain training event will reveal the secrets you need to develop the right mindset for achieving your goals, faster than ever before!

As soon as you have your habit, you are in that positive frame of mind where you believe that you can make the impossible possible. In this mindset, your flow states become maximized, and you genuinely can change your outlook on your future by believing in your abilities.

In Summary 

Flow states are a cognitive science that will change your life in more ways than one. It will allow you to focus on what really matters, seed out all the distractions, and spend time with those that value your input and friendship.

When it comes to seeing through people, a flow state will help you identify those traits in others, protecting you and your time in the process. Flow states help you make diamonds out of carbon—one state at a time!

About The Author

NeuroGym Team

NeuroGym Team: NeuroGym’s Team of experts consists of neuroscientists, researchers, and staff who are enthusiasts in their fields. The team is committed to making a difference in the lives of others by sharing the latest scientific findings to help you change your life by understanding and using the mindset, skill set and action set to change your brain.

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