When was the last time you were so absorbed in a task that every thought flowed effortlessly and creatively into the next?
Or played a sport when every movement felt light and easy, everything went your way, and time itself seemed to disappear?
These magical moments when everything just… flows. We’ve all been “in the zone” — aka flow state.
Though it may appear to come out of nowhere, you don’t just stumble into flow by pure accident. We know the science behind it. And by priming your organization for flow, you can achieve better business outcomes without the burnout.
With a bit of learning and some practice, you and your employees can learn how to enter flow state on command.
What are the benefits of flow state?
A flow state isn’t just a mental high. It’s a temporary state of being that helps people achieve beyond their normal means while feeling fulfilled, happy, and healthy.
Imagine if you could bring the following benefits to your organization by optimizing for more flow:
Greater Performance
Flow state boosts performance and productivity in any area you can imagine.
Think of the engineer who knocks out hundreds of lines of efficient code in one afternoon. The basketball player who sinks five consecutive three-point shots in a hostile arena. The pianist who gets lost in what felt like a half-hour practice session, only to find that three hours have passed.
Flow state training is the key to their success.
Increased Creativity
Have you ever been in a brainstorming session where every member was seamlessly bouncing off each other with brilliant ideas?
Flow state and creativity go hand in hand.
Both drawing from and supporting creativity, flow state can set off a high-performance cycle.
Higher Engagement
We’ve all felt the satisfaction of seeing weeks of hard work pay off.
But without flow, the process might feel grueling. Having fun with a task while in flow state makes the journey all the more rewarding. And maximizing flow state has a proven correlation with long-term happiness.
The more fulfilled your team members feel at work, the higher your organization’s employee engagement will be.
Long-Term Development
Flow state goes beyond peak performance in the moment. It also sustains our growth over the long run.
Maybe a high achiever on your team has been struggling to reach new levels of performance without burning out. Chances are, they haven’t had enough conditions to enter flow state.
By helping your team members enter flow, you can massively support their long-term development.
The Flow Cycle
Flow follows a repeatable four-part cycle. Here’s how it works:
1. Struggle
Flow follows focus, and focus is triggered by agitation. In this phase, you experience some stress or discomfort, and the body responds by releasing adrenaline.
This improves cognitive function, heart rate, and blood pressure, which tells your body it’s time to lock in, focus, and prepare for action.
Flow follows focus, and focus is triggered by agitation. In this phase, you experience some stress or discomfort, and the body responds by releasing adrenaline.
This improves cognitive function, heart rate, and blood pressure, which tells your body it’s time to lock in, focus, and prepare for action.
Tip: Remember that struggle is good! Don’t shy away from it, actively seek it. Challenge your assumptions or seek an opposing viewpoint to trigger that agitation.
2. Release
The “release” phase is your reward for embracing the struggle.
The initial wave of stress starts to subside and your body releases the feel-good hormone dopamine, which boosts motivation and drive. Then, endocannabinoids further ease the struggle from the prior phase to support creative insight.
Tip: No, really, embrace the struggle. When you start feeling good and motivated, you’ll know you did it right and you’re onto something. Lean into it.
3. Flow
You made it! Welcome to the magical flow phase, where the mind and body are highly relaxed yet acutely focused.
As the frontal lobes relax, your brain’s electrical rhythm reaches its peak, and suddenly you’re completely immersed in your task. Motivation and creativity surge, thoughts and actions merge, and you finally understand what “time is just a construct” means.
Tip: Direct your focus towards priority tasks. Take full advantage of flow by not multitasking.
4. Recovery
And yes, flow state feels awesome. But that doesn’t mean we want to be in a flow state 24/7.
What flows up must come down. Such a highly focused state requires a lot of mental and physical energy, so recovery is key to make sure you can enter flow again next time.
In this phase, you should engage in recharging, rejuvenating activities like snacking, going for a walk outside, stretching, or meditating. Make sure to take a break every hour or two to sustain productivity.
Tip: Remember to take breaks, schedule them if necessary. It’s okay to work longer if you’re really flowing, but know you’ll need to recharge for longer, too.
How to Achieve Flow State at Work
A flow state requires undivided concentration on a task, a complete feeling of control over it, and a lost sense of time.
Those are major challenges in a workplace culture where colleagues and clients expect immediate responses, frequent meeting attendance, and multitasking.
But with the right actions and structures, you can help your team members reach their highest potential through flow.
1. Schedule Work Blocks Strategically
It’s important to recognize when you’re best primed to get into flow. Some people are night owls, while others are more likely to achieve flow state in the morning.
Understand what time of day your attention seems to be sharpest. If your schedule and biology align, that’s the time for you to get certain work done. That will help you stay focused and motivated and reach that flow state.
For example, the prolific author Stephen King explained in his book On Writing that he writes at least 2,000 words a day, starting in the morning. If he reaches that goal by lunchtime, he allows himself to stop. That recovery allows him to re-enter flow state the next day.
2. Create Rituals
In the early days of the pandemic when people’s daily rituals were disrupted, many struggled to create a flow state. Either there were too many distractions, or it was too quiet.
Some people need to set aside quiet hours to reach a flow state at work. Others prefer the chaos of a crowded office or coffee shop. Some need loud music or soothing instrumental tunes.
Whatever you prefer, create a consistent ritual. This includes setting the same time and environment. Sticking to it will set you up for flow more effectively.
3. Focus on One Thing at a Time
Flow follows focus. So, set up your environment to reduce distractions.
“Distraction is a flow killer. The low-hanging fruit is to minimize distractions by putting the phone away, closing browsers, shutting the office door and doing everything you can to increase your chances of finding flow.”
- Dr. Chris Bertram, Exos Sr. Director of Applied Neuroscience & Olympic Flow Coach
Silence your phone. Ignore email. Turn off notifications. Use anti-distraction apps if necessary. Schedule meetings and busywork outside of your peak flow hours.
4. Stay Hydrated
To reach flow, let the water flow. Dehydration hurts performance, whether you’re sitting at a desk or running on a track. Start your day by drinking 16 ounces of water upon waking. Though you might not feel thirsty, you’re dehydrated after sleep.
Wherever your day takes you, continue to drink water. Even minor dehydration impairs concentration, coordination, and reaction time, making it difficult to reach a flow state. Drink 0.5 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day to maintain hydration.
Note: Don’t mistake a rush from caffeine (or even nicotine) for flow state. This is not a flow state but rather a temporary, artificially-induced burst that does not produce the results or rewards of a natural flow state.
5. Sleep Well
Without good sleep, you cannot function at your best or reach a flow state.
During sleep, your body repairs, restores, and locks in everything you’ve learned that day. And your body does the same.
Sleep is where the majority of your hormones, such as growth hormone and testosterone are released. It’s when your neuromuscular system upgrades from the stimulus you gave it earlier.
If all you do is improve your sleep, you can drastically improve performance without putting forth greater physical effort or resources. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night (preferably eight) on a consistent schedule.
6. Take Movement Breaks
Movement and flow state go together like peanut butter and jelly. Use some intentional movement to encourage your brain to prepare for a flow state. You can try:
- Dancing to your favorite song
- Walking around your neighborhood
- Taking a break from work to stretch and reset your posture
- Doing an early morning workout to release endorphins and support flow
Within the four-stage cycle of struggle, release, flow, and recovery, recovery is the key ingredient that people often miss. If you’re not consistently recovering well via good sleep and microbreaks, flow will be hard to come by.
Bring More Flow to Your Organization
Take one step at a time.
Remember: Flow follows focus. Even if you don’t experience flow state right away by making these changes, keep at it.
You’re laying down fundamental building blocks for greater performance, productivity, and satisfaction for you and your team members.
And if you want to learn more about how to bring more flow to your workplace, talk to the experts here.
