How Do You Get Into A Flow State?
What’s a flow state?
A flow state - also known as being ‘in the zone’ - is
a mental state where one is completely immersed in an activity.
You can probably see why this is a desirable state of being.
But, what makes up the mental state that puts us in a flow state?
Let's break it down.
A flow state has 3 components:
Energized focus
Full involvement
Joy
Notice a commonality between the 3? They’re all feelings.
When focus, involvement, and joy converge to ground you in the present, you enter a flow state.
Ok, cool story brotisserie, so do we have any control over this?
Is a flow state something that happens to you? Or can you initiate one?
Both!
However, you have to make space for those 3 feelings to emerge and merge.
How?
There are 3 ways to initiate a Flow State.
Flow State Tactic One: Invitation
Stop fighting your nature.
We’ve all heard offhand 'advice' to live in the present moment. But, our brains are built to process the past, present, and future - often simultaneously. We can’t magically -or chemically- turn that off for appreciable periods of time. So why fight our very nature - a literal superpower - when we can work with it?
Instead of beating yourself up for not living in the present, create a vision of the future and harness it to influence your now.
While slightly esoteric, this is not some mystical method nor is it vision-boarding or the like. This is the skill of invitation. Understand, with clarity, what your expectation of your future is, then bring awareness of that vision into the present moment.
Doing this invites your future to support your present, and your present to drive your future. You actively align your brain's processing instead of fighting it, and Flow states love alignment. When you’re working on something, think of what you want it to be. Bring that feeling into the present and let it guide you.
Practice aligning your present moment with your vision for the future, thereby embracing your nature instead of rejecting it, and flow states will find you.
Flow State Tactic Two: Prioritization
Remember that the 3 components to a flow state - Focus, Involvement, Joy - are feelings.
Consciously engaging all 3 of these feelings is hard. Which is why we usually wait for flow states to happen to us. But, what if we want to induce a flow state?
We pick a feeling and prioritize it.
Pick from Focus, Involvement, or Joy.
Let’s say you’re working on a book and you’re getting ready to write, you can Embody an Energized Focus.
How? Put your alerts on do not disturb. Put on noise canceling headphones with music that occupies your subconscious. Clear your work area - digital or physical - so the writing is the only thing on there. Make sure you’re fed and hydrated before working. Basically do what you can to invite focus in and allow it to thrive when it's there.
Find a state of Full Involvement.
How? Start by going over the last thing you wrote and editing it, or going over your notes and ideas. Write the parts that come easier to you first, you don’t have to work linearly. Write your stream of consciousness for 10 minutes before tackling the piece you’re working on.
Bring about Joy.
How? Before writing, set a timer for 15 minutes and watch or read something that makes you smile. Write the fun parts first. Find a way to play for 15 minutes before working.
(Another word for this: Ritual)
Ever hear your favorite athlete or artist talk about the weird things they do before performing to get in the right headspace? They’re prioritizing a feeling to induce a flow state. So jog in place, carry a frog skull in your pocket, tie and untie your laces 8 times, figure out your own freaky ritual, it works.
You'll find what works for you.
But you have to pick a feeling to prioritize. The thing to remember is that triggering one of these emotions opens the door for the other two. So pick one, practice getting good at bringing that feeling into play, and watch as your ability to achieve a flow state grows.
Flow State Tactic Three: Microdosing
Microdosing has many benefits and one of the best explored is the ability to get you in a flow state quicker.
Many of the substances used for microdosing help put you in a state of heightened self-awareness, which can then be used to more easily bring you into a flow state.
However, the devil is in the dose.
Coffee is a psychoactive substance and, if you drink it, you probably started out just drinking one cup. Over time, that may have snowballed into a pot or 2 in order to get the same effect. And your gut health may be taking a beating.
I have a lot of content available on microdosing specifics, but I want to talk about something…
This is one reason guidance and education while microdosing is so important. Used correctly, it can be powerful. Used incorrectly, it can be ineffective or counterproductive.
The lack of clarity, misinformation, and cultish behavior out there makes microdosing hard to navigate.
I believe everyone should have access to information that may be transformative to their lives.
But it takes much more than information to make an impact. It's important to find someone to help you cut through the clutter so you can actually see the results you want.
It's easy to have clarity in the beginning, but then see your direction fogged over once you're past following a basic protocol. If microdosing or healing through plant medicine modalities calls to you, please find a coach, a guide, a group that can help you do it safely, securely, and with an eye on the outcome instead of just the process.
When's the last time you experienced a flow state?
As a Creative Growth Coach, microdosing coach, and plant medicine guide, I help my clients with customized strategies to achieve their flow states. I’d love to listen and help you on your personal growth journey. Reach out for a free consultation.