Have you heard of the mental state called “flow” before? This is actually a concept that Mihály Csíkszentmihályi named. The term is used to describe being in a mental state whereby you are completely and fully immersed in the activity you are carrying out. You feel full involvement, complete enjoyment, and your focus is energized. You may refer to this is as being “in the zone.” Either way, it is a good place to be in, especially when you have a project or a task to complete.

There are six different elements of being in flow, as defined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. He has stated them as the following:

1. Having intense and focused concentration
2. Enjoying an activity that is intrinsically rewarding
3. Bring both action and awareness together
4. Having an altered subjective experience of time
5. Losing reflective self-consciousness
6. Feeling a sense of personal control of the activity you are engaging in

These are the six key elements that are associated with the mental state of flow. For flow to be achieved, three distinct conditions need to be in place. These are as follows:

1. You need to have an excellent balance in terms of your own perceived skills, as well as the skills that are required for the task at hand
2. The task must be clear so you fully understand what is needed, and there needs to be immediate feedback 
3. There needs to be a clear and evident set of goals for the activity, as well as milestones for the progress of the task

Does this all sound familiar? If so, you are in the zone, congratulations! If not, you are not in the state of flow but don’t worry, there are changes that you can make, and should make! Look for different changes you can make so that you can become completely immersed in the task you are carrying out. The balance between opportunity and capacity is particularly important here. In terms of your career, you need something that is in your skillset while still providing you with a challenge.

There are triggers pertaining to the mental state of flow. These are situations that will create more flow. These can be psychological, environmental, and social pre-conditions. For example, if you do not have something that is challenging enough, you may find that you do not pay enough attention. On the flip side, if the challenge is too steep, you may end up feeling swamped and unable to do the task.

Some people also feel too stressed in other areas of their life, and this stops them from reaching a state of flow. There are different ways you can handle this, from trying to likes of Kratom powder to meditating. 

So there you have it: everything that you need to know about achieving the mental state of flow. We hope that the information that we have provided above will help you to reach the state of flow that you need to achieve more. Keep working on it; it will come.