Flowing with life is a unique experience where our state of consciousness acts on a distinct plane.
Last update: May 15, 2019
Flowing with life means finding the perfect balance between joy and challenge. These are those moments when our creativity and the results obtained infuse us with positive emotions. The challenge is a fundamental part of our psychophysical well-being. There is no happiness without challenges. It is much more difficult, however, to find gratification or joy in an activity that is below or above our abilities.
Are those situations, which each of us has experience, in which we immersed ourselves completely, happy to devote all our energy, forgetting everything that was outside. Time warped and seemed to speed up or stop.
It is a state where our consciousness works on a different plane. The mind and body are synchronized, they merge with the activity. Some call it "zone", in psychology we call it flow. Once you enter this area, you will never be able to forget what you have tried. Whether it comes from writing, painting, composing music or playing sports, the feeling is the same.
Flowing with life is a unique experience where our state of consciousness acts on a distinct plane.
flow theory
The theory of flow or flow was formulated by the American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It is not simply a rewarding experience. To enter the state of flow, we must sacrifice the resources we usually reserve for peripheral attention by directing them to centered and sustained attention. It is a "sacrifice" that translates into emotional well-being.
In order for the experience of flowing to manifest itself, certain conditions are necessary. First of all, you need to have a specific goal. It is also more likely to happen when our skills are at the level required by the task.
It requires a high degree of concentration; consciousness and action merge. We have a feeling of control, meaning we do not feel anxiety or think that our actions will fail. Consciousness disappears, the ego disappears. The perception of the space-time dimension is altered.
It is an Autotelic experience: we dedicate ourselves to an activity with the simple aim of carrying it out, nothing else.
Flow with life and brain chemistry
But what really happens when we "flow"? Research tells us that this is more of a psychic experience than a physical one. The brain and its functioning are closely related to this. Several areas involved in the flow state have been identified.
The prefrontal cortex is responsible for assessing risks, planning, analyzing thoughts, suppressing impulses, solving problems and making decisions.
There is a specific area associated with negative feelings about ourselves, the middle prefrontal cortex. This area and the amygdala, which processes negative emotions derived from experiences, disinhibit when we enter a state of flow.
Time distortion occurs in the parietal lobe. The area of ​​the brain associated with motivation, on the other hand, starts from the nucleus accumbens. It is activated when we enter the flow state. It also seems that zones linked to the perception of control are activated.
The production of endorphins is stimulated, as occurs during meditation, fear is reduced and a feeling of euphoria is generated. They increase the levels of GABA, the neurotransmitter that refines concentration and reduces the perception of external stimuli.
Train the mind to flow with life
Acting in a state of flux requires a considerable expenditure of energy which we are often not aware of. For this reason, when we get out of it, it is normal to feel exhausted, but happy. As we said, however, it is a state that one enters when the control of the situation is high.
It is more easily accessed if we keep our brains fit through reading or any other food for the intellect. If we move away from the trivial or anything that is not very productive. When we change the television for a cultural visit or reserve time for ourselves. When we let ourselves be invaded by colors, beauty, music.
Flow theory has always been linked to positive psychology and is often misunderstood. It is associated with the state of happiness, but in reality it can also be accessed from a terrible moment of despair.
It would be interesting to be able to count on studies that tell us about the relationship between the state of flow and the tragic moments of our life. Sometimes entering the flow is the only way to distance ourselves from reality and focus on another when it is impossible for us to manage the former.
Are you ready to flow with life?
