FLOW – Psychologists have found the people who are the happiest have the most FLOW in their life.
What is FLOW?
The state of optimal experience in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. You will have experienced this before. A good example is when you play sport. For example tennis. When someone is serving a ball at you, you are so in the moment waiting for that ball to come hurtling your way you are not worrying about the future and you are not beating yourself up over the past. You are completely PRESENT. This is the state that meditators are chasing. And its why i have always believed you don’t need to meditate to get the benefits of it. I have always believed in the power of meditation through movement. And now i have discovered the scientific proof! ( a little slow on this one i know )
In a game of tennis or whilst dancing etc you get all these seconds adding up over the course of time where you are PRESENT> That in itself creates many many minutes of PRESENCE.
Why is FLOW so good.
Not only does it make you happy ( how good do you feel after an activity like tennis or surfing or dancing? People call it feel good endorphins ) well science is explaining exactly what is happening in these FLOW states, where the part of the brain you are going and the REGENERATIVE and HEALING affects of this state. It’s amazing!
FLOW states make you happy, make you content, spark creativity, helps heal your mind and your body, and slows down time.
I remember reading something once which said “The reason time moves so fast as we age is because we stop having new experiences” Whoah! I used to just use the phrase “stagnation is death”
When you look at how to achieve FLOW states getting out of your comfort zone and doing new things is getting you into FLOW…Getting up at the same time every day, driving the same way to work, going to the same office, seeing the same people doing the same things even simply having the SAME conversations is going to stop you being in FLOW.
Now i know why I crap on and on about challenging yourself and doing new things.
So I’m not weird
I always thought i was a weirdo cause i drive home a different way each night, go to different coffee shops every day, always change my coffee, never eat the same meals, never go to the same bars, move house all the time, seek out unique experiences, get out of my comfort zone and as a youth was an extreme sports junky. I was chasing FLOW.. It’s very, very addictive.
The Inner Critic
And for those who are familiar with it, being in FLOW shuts down the pre frontal cortex and it STOPS the inner critic in our heads….. peace…
When we weight train we are in FLOW. When you are doing a heavy chin up or squat you are not all in your head about the future or beating yourself up over the past. You are present. You are in FLOW. That’s why you feel good.
Here's a cool little video explaining FLOW
Have a great day!!