BE in Flow

"An idle mind is the devil’s playground."

The most significant bonus to COVID for me was rediscovering my FLOW. It resurfaced out of pure desperation and extreme boredom, as great things often do. The benefits of my FLOW were immediate both mentally and physically. Any depression or anxiety that I was feeling about COVID, in general, vanished and I felt happier, more alert, and stronger. FLOW was not only the magic elixir I needed to get me through 2020, but also something I know now that I can not live without.

According to positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, a FLOW state is defined as an “optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.” It entails “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. Whereby, the ego falls away; time flies; and where every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” While in FLOW, we reset our nervous system, start to release stress hormones, and feel euphoric. In my opinion, it is the single most impactful state/feeling we should all be striving to reach and also the one our busy lives have prevented us from experiencing the most.

I bet many of you get into a moderate state of FLOW when reading, exercising, cooking, or maybe even while binge-watching Netflix. Those are all great activities, but during covid I realized that, for me, the only way to get into a deep, true state of FLOW was via a creative hobby. Creativity is associated with enhanced emotional functioning and increased well-being overall so this makes sense. For me, creative hobbies include ones that involve art, music, imagination, inspiration, and/or self-expression.

My first covid-FLOW experience occurred during my attempt to complete a 1000 piece puzzle. I put my AirPods on (listening to the ‘For Mom’ Spotify list that my kids created - see BE Progressive) and completely immersed myself for hours on end. I used to do puzzles with my dad when I was kid so I think that memory connection helped get me into FLOW. I then found even greater FLOW with my paint-by-numbers kit which reinvigorated my childhood love of art. I like to think that because the artistic part of my brain was neglected/unexercised for so long, tapping into it again amplified the FLOW state I was able to achieve. And then came what would turn out to be my ultimate hobby and source of FLOW…this blog.

I had considered writing a blog for a long time before I started Just Keep Being. I hesitated though because I let "Nancy"- my inner critic (see BE Tweaked)- tell me I couldn't do it; and I listened to outer critics who asked ‘how will you make money with a blog?’ and ‘do you know how hard it is to get subscribers?’. But, then I realized that I didn’t want blogging to be a job…I wanted it to be a hobby! And, as fate would have it, I had this epiphany at the perfect time. Covid presented me with a lot of quiet moments during which reflection and creativity could bloom. The confluence of these factors encouraged me to stop listening to the critics (both internal and external); forge bravely ahead; teach myself how to create and design a website; and just start writing.

I've found blogging to be a hugely beneficial exercise that allows me to enjoy hours and hours of FLOW. I sit at my desk writing, searching for quotes and photos, or just staring into space lost in thought for long stretches of time. I don’t care if I have 10 or 10,000 subscribers because my blog is for me- a way to empty some of the clutter in my mind. It’s a platform that allows me to articulate my feelings about many things in a way that I might not have been able to if they stayed trapped in my own head. It’s a hobby that helps me cope with stress; adds richness to my self-identity; gives me a zest for life; and most importantly, allows me to enter and remain in a glorious state of FLOW.

So, if you do just one thing after reading all of this months' posts, please let it be finding a hobby that will put you in a state of FLOW! Tap into your childhood memories about what hobbies, activities, classes, and moments made you truly happy. Ceramics class? Piano lessons? Creative writing 101? Collecting baseball cards? As kids, reaching FLOW was easier so, hopefully, reminding yourself of the happiness those activities brought you will encourage you to reclaim your FLOW source and start living a happier and healthier life!