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There is an old cliché myth about humans only using 10% of their brain at any given time. Though this has been long since disputed within the scientific community, it still is a pervasive myth referenced in works of literature constantly. The real information to be gleaned from this myth is that neurons, the brain cells that are responsible for thought and cognition primarily only make up roughly around 10% of the cells. This led to a belief that we were only using 10% of our brain capacity, however, that doesn’t truly cover the fact that we have several billions of neurons which pale in comparison to the amount of glial cells within the brain. The exact number and percentages of these cells that comprise our “Grey Matter” is still up for debate among many neuroscientists but it all goes back to the 10% mythos which has given us some very interesting conversations around what the brain may truly be capable of. One of the greatest assets that we have in our brain however, is the ability to subconsciously remove unnecessary inputs & outputs to enter into what is known as the “Flow State.”
“When you’re giving your fullest attention to an activity or task that you are incredibly passionate about, singularly focused on, and totally immersed in, you may find yourself creating the conditions necessary to experience a flow state of mind. The mind’s usual chatter begins to fade away, placing us in a non-distracted zone. The feelings that would consume you under normal circumstances (inhibition, hunger, fatigue, or aches and pains) melt away, and all that matters is your dedication to your craft.”
This state of being is a mental state that comes with the added benefit of increased clarity and performance of a specific task, shutting away all the unnecessary stimuli that we would normally get. The flow state comes with an added feeling of time dilation where our perception of time shifts tremendously and allows us to remain within the moment without having to worry about the added stressors that the perception of passing time can bring. Individuals are able to enter what is known as a “Micro-Flow” state in their daily activities which will be very similar to doing a specific task at your job, getting sucked into the task to the point where you look back up and realize that an entire hour has passed. Time dilation is one of the most noticeable after-effects of the flow state and its usually one of the most palpable immediate benefits to a person who is not some high-flying athlete or performance artist. The Microflow usually alleviates periods of boredom for individuals and is commonly encountered when we get wrapped up in a good game or a task accessible via our electronic devices. The differentiating factor between a Microflow and a regular flow state is that we don’t lose our sense of self. You can usually still feel your body and all the sensation but gain partial flow-like benefits.
You probably didn’t know this, but I’m in a microflow state as I type this piece here. That’s right, I have tapped into that state willingly to be able to allow my fingers effortlessly glide across the keyboard whether or not I close my eyes or have them open. The words simply seem to flow onto the keyboard from a place of higher consciousness and allow me to put to words concepts that would normally be inhibited by countervailing thoughts and throughputs. The only time that I need to really consciously focus on the task of crafting this article is to really proof-read and add sources to what I’m saying. Sounds cool right? Well you’d be correct, its a very cool ability to be able to instantly boost efficiency and output. Before I explain how I manage to do this, I need to first delve into a bit more detail on what the flow state actually is because so far, explanation has been very much nebulous in terms of the actual brass tacks of the the FLOW State.
When talking about the Flow state, many people believed that we were making use of a greater amount of our brain in tapping into this state of consciousness, when in all actuality, we were actually using less. Much like with any performative venture, its usually FAR harder to concentrate with a lot of excess noise and/or static. The Flow state can be considered to be shutting down a lot of that excess noise both externally and internally, making the focus on the task able to be devoted a FAR larger amount of energy. The sequence of events that happens to allow for this effect to be achieved is:
Time slows down significantly because of the prefrontal cortex’s processing of time is reduced significantly. This event is called “Transient Hypofrontality.” The effects of this event can easily reduce a massive amount of the anxiety that a person experiences through the temporary relaxation of the explicit command system relaxing and allowing an increase of norepinephrine which in excess can lead to a massive spike in stress, but in smaller doses can lead to enhanced concentration, muscle blood flow increases (i.e. better endurance for certain tasks), increases in heart rate, and massive glucose releases into the blood.
With the reduction of this anxiety thanks to the hypofrontality, you begin to notice there is a decrease in certain stress hormones which may be counterproductive to the ability to focus on a task while there is an increase in the amount of Cortisol that the body secretes, which may seem contradictory, but research found that there is a “Happy Medium” of cortisol secretion and the ability to focus on a task where in the right amounts, “Cortisol secretion increases glucose level of the blood and provides extra energy resources for the individuals to meet their demands for the increased energy during stress”(Benedictet al, 2009; Cryer et al. 2005; Sapolski,Romero, and Munck, 2000).
You could say these sounded like amazing benefits to have when accomplishing a complex task where even the smallest amount of variance from instinctual movements or processes can mean the difference between success and failure and you’re right. This scientific process that our body utilizes to increase our chances of performing complex maneuvers with little interruption from our own mind’s usually distracting processes were a massive benefit in survival pre-society. Nowadays, we don’t necessarily need to survive but that doesn’t mean that this adaptation has went the way of the Do-Do bird. Quite the contrary actually. Remember, I spoke about the microflow state earlier. That’s a more accessible form of the zen that we acknowledge as “Flow” which can be induced significantly easier in comparison to the difficult process of getting into a full on flow.
For all intents and purposes, getting into a flow state can be seen as a process that SHOULD take up to 15 minutes when done correctly. These of course are tentative estimations as some of you may find an ability to enter this state almost instantaneously whereas some of you may take an upwards of 30 minutes before most of the external static fades away. What I will list below are simply some ways to increase your probability of entering the flow state more readily than last time.
Eliminate all your distractions, internal and externally. These will only seek to hinder you in the long run and take up excess sensory power which can and SHOULD be used to focus on the task at hand. This is where the estimate of 10-15 minutes comes from because you need to make sure that your focus remains on your task for that entire period of time. Silence your notifications (Yes, fully silence, not just vibrate.) Dim the lights if you can. Make sure that you’re in a place that’s lower in traffic as sometimes even the smallest bump can hinder you. Calm your mind and be sure not to be overcaffeinated as even though a little caffeine can enhance focus, too much can overload you and create anxiety.
Engage at your body’s own individual peak time. This usually will come at a time where your energy levels are the highest. We all know that point in the time where we seem to be ready to take on and tackle all of the challenges that life has for us as well as the point in time where we simply want nothing to do with anything related to activity. For the purpose of achieving the flow state you’ll want to operate closer to the former.
Listen to music that contains a very repetitive pattern and beat with little words or distinct auditory markers to pull your attention. Also avoid listening to songs that may be too new as those will also contain “Hooks” that can grab your attention as opposed to something that you’ve listened to before for a long time.
Don’t attempt to multitask. Keep yourself focused on one specific task as switching tasks will end up amounting to distraction. Distraction is costly as it takes about 30 minutes to regain the Flow State after being distracted.
Avoid boredom but also be wary of too much complexity. Your brain will not be able to reduce the amount of resources it uses adequately if you’re working on something that is too difficult or complex. This can also replace Eustress with Distress and become counterproductive.
Set out with a measurable and defined goal. If you feel like you’re just mentally wandering through a desolate field of work with no end in sight, then your brain will never become attuned to the progress that you’re making and you’ll quickly become disillusioned and bored. This will snap you out of the Flow State very quickly.
Adequately hydrate. This should go without saying. You need water. Water is life. Drink it.
Create a “Bookmarked” behavior. This is simply some sort of ritual, big or small, that you use right before you attempt to go into the flow state. It will create a positive neural association for the flow state and the process once you’ve successfully achieved it and will make subsequent successes FAR easier and more reliable thanks to the subconscious connection to the “Bookmark” which will allow you to pick right back up where you left off.
With that listing of tips and tricks, the only thing that you have left to do is to go and enter the flow yourself. Be like water. Go with the flow. And see if you don’t find yourself on the riverbank of success in your day to day journey.
Enter The Flow State: Become The Water Dragon and Take Your Productivity To The Next Level (Free Version)