Pauline Vigil
The Paw Print
Athletes, writers, and artists are just a small list of people who have really experienced being lost in the moment, so focused that they lose track of time while performing at their best. This is an experience psychologists call flow or engagement.
ASU Professor Dr. Ellison, who is writing a book with an entire chapter dedicated to the state of flow during rock climbing, says the state of flow is more likely to be obtained after practice (because practice makes perfect).
According to Dr. Ellison, flow is the process of being more engaged with life, and it involves a perfect balance of skill and challenge. When a skill is so familiar that it doesn’t require a person’s complete focus, then they can easily find themselves lost in the moment. The more skill you have the more challenge you need to reach a state of flow. However; if a student finds themselves stressed or overwhelmed it may be because their skill doesn’t quite meet the challenge, in which case more practice may be needed.
The question arises, why is the state of flow important? The answer is because flow has many benefits. Some benefits include: increased overall wellbeing and reduced stress. For a college student, the state of flow can be experienced during sports, while dancing, playing a game of chess, while studying, in the midst of a project a student is passionate about, or in countless other ways.
It’s not really during flow that people notice how engaged, focused, or at their best they are. But when the activity is over and we reflect back, that’s when they say, “that was fun, I totally lost track of time.” Whether through sports, school, or other activities, reaching a state of flow more often can be well worth the effort in the long run.
“Runners high is great, it’s as if you’re floating while running,” Tianna Vigil, ASU student, on the state of flow for runners.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the psychologist who literally wrote the book on flow, said flow is the secret to happiness. He claims that people can find lasting satisfaction in activities that help them attain the state of flow. Mihaly believes that the state of flow (of being totally focused) “leaves no room in our awareness for conflicts or contradictions.” The reason he lists this as a source for happiness is because it is of our own making, it is a state we can bring about ourselves as often as we choose.
How can you obtain a state of flow? Mihaly lists two ways. One is to set a clear goal in something you know how to do and that requires appropriate responses, then totally focus on that. Another way is to fully use your skills to overcome a challenge that is manageable (if the challenge is too low, get to flow by increasing the challenge; however, if the challenge is too great, learn new skills to meet the challenge.)
What’s Been Said…