Getting Into Flow

I had an epiphany last week (ask anyone who knows me well, many of my sentences start with the phrase, “You know, I have this theory..”).

So let me rephrase that, I have this theory that there are certain things that help us or hinder us when trying to get into ‘flow’ as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi would call it, or ‘into the zone’ as others might refer to it.

I had three very different days that all had a different vibe, a different outcome, and different moods to them, and although I haven’t yet read Csikszentmihalyi’s book Flow, I’m going to venture a guess that these different ‘days’ and different states of being in tune with my work (or lack thereof) can be attributed to some environmental factors.

Again, we’re all different, so the way that I get into the zone might be totally different from your process, but then again, maybe not.

I won’t go into each of the 3 days, but I will list the different environmental factors that I think affected my flow state, and ultimately helped me get into the best mindset that I’ve experienced in a while, on Day 3:

• If you have to do something that could potentially take you out of flow, do the bulk of it on a different day, so it doesn’t become a way to remain out of out of sync with what you’re trying to accomplish. You can take care of those annoying items the day/night before, or do it the day after you enjoy your flow state. I graded a ton of papers and checked all my emails the night before Day 3 around 8 pm, so I knew I would have very few to look at the next morning, which meant I could wait quite some time to check them again. Check that off my list. My mind was free.

• Cut out distractions immediately when you wake up. No TV, no phone or text messaging (put it across the room if you have to, that’s where my phone always ends up anyway), and no big breakfast that might cause you to linger. For me, if I don’t get to my projects right away, I feel like I already wasted time and then I end up feeling bad and wasting even more time (type-A problems). For ultimate flow, grab something small for a quick breakfast (I grab dark chocolate and almonds to snack on.. it’s kind of weird, but I love it!) while you get to work on whatever it is that will make you feel amazing and accomplished for that day.

• Save your water consumption and meals for later in the day. I know this goes against conventional advice, but Malcolm Gladwell recently admitted in a Tim Ferriss podcast that he eats very little in the mornings (I guess that’s just what works for him, I can’t remember if there was a more legitimate reason behind it), so I feel okay saying that I do the same on my more productive days. I wait until about 1 pm to guzzle water (I drink tons of water throughout the day, but on my ‘get in the zone’ days, I wait until the afternoon), that way I’m not making frequent trips to the bathroom early in the day, which might start hindering my progress. I also eat a decent meal at this point, although I resist the urge to ‘take a little break’ with a quick YouTube video or TV, because we all know how that turns out (6 hours later, you’ll wonder where it all went wrong). Instead, I’ll read some inspiring, but luckily not addictive, articles on Success.com. If I go to news websites or other sites that don’t keep me in the right mindset, I’ve broken the spell and then I’m pretty much done for the day.

• Find music that helps you find your ‘flow rhythm.’ Yes, I just made up the term ‘flow rhythm.’ Now that I’ve discovered endless jazz music on YouTube (I honestly didn’t think I liked jazz until I paired it with working at my laptop), I find that it helps to keep my fingers, eyes, and brain tapping away at my project in total bliss and complete efficiency.

 

• Get comfortable. Find the right clothes and the best spot for you to get into the zone. My spot for the last 6 years now is reclined with a blanket on my squeaky but oh so comfy couch, hair braided (to avoid the distracting ponytail headache every girl knows about), dressed in leggings and a sweater. I sink into the couch just enough that I’m kind of settled there for a while, and so that I feel like I’m relaxing even though I’m getting a ton of stuff done.

Here’s what Day 3 ended up looking like for me after taking care of the 5 things above:

I only had a handful of easy emails to check when I woke up (I checked them in bed this morning, which I know is awful, but it works for me), so it allowed me to be ‘done’ with distracting tasks for the day before I headed downstairs. I grabbed a bottle of water, chocolate, and almonds to munch on while I sat on the couch with a blanket, my laptop, and papers surrounding me. Then I got started on an online faculty development course I’m taking that I absolutely fell in love with. As I progressed through the online modules, parts of the course inspired me to stop periodically and write a total of 5 different blog posts (I can tell you, I’ve never been inspired to write that many posts at once). I also took breaks from the course to start figuring out the sections of my next book, and organized those in Google Docs, which spurred me to watch a webinar about how academics can make ebooks using their past research (on TheScholarpreneur.com- I highly recommend it!).

Phew. It was a whirlwind of productivity and excitement.

That was my 9 to 5 today (actually, I just looked at the clock and that’s pretty accurate). I feel unstoppable at the moment, and to be honest, if I didn’t have to go out into the world and see real people and loved ones later tonight, I could be a true ‘arteest’ (another word I’ve made up that I use when in the flow state), working until late in the night, relishing the inspiration I’m feeling, the pace of my work, the beat of the music matched to the tapping of my fingers, and the effortless flow of thoughts.

Ah, but the outside world calls.

I urge you to attempt really getting into the zone, and staying there for a while. On the days where you can get away from it all, work on your own personal projects, do the things that inspire you, and explore your own mind, re-read this post, or ammend it with the things that help you get into your own flow rhythm.
Happy learning and living.