Find Your Flow
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
― Albert Einstein
Flow, “dialed in” and being “in the zone” all refer to a similar experience of being so involved in the task at hand that the past, future and all other life distractions dissolve and focus is given only to the current moment. Whereas being “dialed in” and “in the zone” are often used in relation to sports, Flow also includes any activity that gives rise to such focused “in the moment” experiences. Although much research and writing has been done recently, the knowledge of the Flow has been around for thousands of years. Though not always mentioned directly as Flow, the encouragement of allowing the moment can be seen in many ancient writings and for decades in self-help books whose sum total is often “be here, now”. Flow has become so popular it is the title of a book by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, whom I will take the liberty of referring to as Dr. C from here on. In his book, Dr. C describes Flow as the experience of being carried away by an outside force, moving effortlessly with a current of energy and being in the moment with clarity. (1) Based on his extensive scientific work, he has found eight constructs of the state of Flow. I have them summarized here:
1. Opportunity is balanced with capacity/ skills match the challenge
2. Goals are clear
3. Feedback is immediate
4. Concentration deepens
5. The present is what matters
6. Control is no problem (respect the challenge and develop the skills to meet it)
7. Sense of time is altered (the sense of time adapts itself to the task at hand)
8. There is a loss of ego
I think that is a little too cumbersome, too much to remember and consider. I’m excited to see the amount of attention the scientific community is giving to psychology and I find Dr. C’s work fascinating. However, I am a fan of simplicity. I like to whittle most things down to what I refer to as the “key three” elements of understanding as quantity is often inversely related to retention and compliance. So, I suggest that finding your Flow should not be laborious. I will go out on a limb and give you what I see as the key three elements to consider when searching for your Flow:
1. Get Outdoors: There is a plethora of evidence suggesting that you derive both physical and mental health benefits from participating in regular outdoor recreation, and the mental benefits, namely improved cognition and mood, are superior to exercise done indoors. (2,3,4) Choose your outdoor explore adventure pursuit in accordance first with your interests and then make sure the associated demands match up with your skills. As you advance your skills, then choose more advanced pursuits but always keep risk to a minimum. Refer to the Ride For The Health Of It article for safety recommendations for off road cycling.
2. Be Autonomous: It’s great to be passionate about your chosen outdoor recreation, however make sure that passion is on your own terms. Passion can too easily lead into an unhealthy obsession, with several negative mental and physical health consequences. (5) Let go of your attachment to your expected outcome; Let the activity be its own reward. Setting competitive goals isn’t always bad for the recreational athlete, but this tends to set the stage for frustration if you fall short of personal expectations or you’re not able to keep up/compete with others. As a result, the fun factor decreases in proportion with the rise of the competitive ego.
3. Go with the Flow. Yes, I know. Yes, I did. Emerging evidence suggests what we are exposed to environmentally and what we choose to focus our attention on determines the quality of our experience, the outcomes from that experience and ultimately our quality of life. (1-5) Get outdoors, be autonomous and keep your attention in the moment: Your Flow depends on it.
I hope this helps to improve the quality and variety of your Flow experiences. Go now, your Flow awaits. Ride On! ……..DocMTB
References
1. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Toward a psychology of optimal experience. Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 209-226). Springer Netherlands.
2. Mackay, G. J., & Neill, J. T. (2010). The effect of “green exercise” on state anxiety and the role of exercise duration, intensity, and greenness: A quasi-experimental study. Psychology of sport and exercise, 11(3), 238-245.
3. Loureiro, A., & Veloso, S. (2014). Outdoor exercise, well-being and connectedness to nature. Psico, 45(3), 299-304.
4. Pretty, J., Peacock, J., Sellens, M., & Griffin, M. (2005) The mental and physical health outcomes of green exercise. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 15(5), 319-337. DOI: 10.1080/09603120500155963
5. Vallerand, R. J. (2012). The role of passion in sustainable psychological well-being. Psychology of well-Being: Theory, research and practice, 2(1), 1.
