How does Paying Attention Increase Performance and Productivity?
According to psychotherapist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, “concentration” or “flow” is “a state in which a person is so immersed in an activity that they do not seem to care about anything else; it is such a pleasant experience that people continue to seek it out even if it costs them so much just to feel it.”
When you enter the flow state, you reach your maximum productivity and provide higher quality outputs. This is when great performers produce their best work. Although they may not know that they are in the flow state, there are common points of similarity that they all mention.
The flow state is a "thoughtless" condition in which the mind calms down. The flow can extend to a group of people working together, and the focus and clarity accompanying the flow state allow you to accomplish tasks that usually require days within hours. That is entirely incompatible with the "hustle culture" or the mentality of constant activity. Under pressure, it is impossible to enter the flow state, and being busy and working all the time does not equate to productivity.
Observing the behavior of the world's successful people as they work helps us understand how we can create a flow state for ourselves. With this in mind, UX/UI Design Partners published a report based on the opinions of eleven experts and successful people.
Brain and flow state
Happiness is associated with the state of flow because the feeling that follows completing a task and producing high-quality outcomes leads to the release of dopamine in the brain. Performing to the best of our abilities gives us satisfaction with our work, but stress and anxiety prevent us from reaching the state of flow; you have to learn to deal with them first.
The prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for long-term planning) temporarily shrinks during the flow, and with this, we can focus entirely on the present moment. When you focus on the process rather than the desired outcome, you can fully immerse yourself in the present and produce your best work. Although it might seem counterintuitive, the more we can ignore the result, the more we can focus on the recent task.
What conditions must be in place for a flow state to occur?
You must be an expert in your field, but that alone is insufficient. Reaching flow depends on having a permanent state of improvement. You must set challenges for yourself, but without making it so difficult for yourself that it causes you anxiety.
This challenge should be outside your comfort zone. That means the challenge will lead to the best results when it becomes progressively more challenging. For example, when you work out in the gym, you have to add weight gradually; otherwise, you may hurt yourself if you try to lift a weight that exceeds your ability early.
As the world-renowned sculptor and designer Joseph Walsh, whose work has been exhibited at the Museum of Art in New York and the Pompidou Centre in Paris, says, “The secret is not to look at experience as a goal you have to achieve; it is a behavior you have to acquire; an expert is someone who is always seeking to improve himself.”
The flow experience is overwhelming and can include a group of people when the team works as an integrated unit and everyone is in the field of their creativity.
However, in specific circumstances, such as running a theater, you may feel nervous, which hinders the flow state. Therefore, it is critical to direct your thinking away from pressures to continue the state of flow, and it is funny that something as simple as a joke can dispel anxiety and tension. It is important to note that anyone can use the state of flow to innovate, find a creative solution to a problem, or create their best work. It is not just applicable to creative fields.
How to enter the flow state?
In the Design Partners report, experts revealed personal rituals designed to help them enter a state of flow. These rituals revolve around finding peace of mind through the relaxation techniques app and creating the conditions for success by creating an environment suitable for the state of flow. That may mean, for example, turning off your phone or disconnecting from the Internet to avoid being distracted.
Controlling your surroundings will not always be possible, but some tools can help you create a sense of flow; for example, if you are an athlete, you can wear a distinct type of footwear, or if you are a photographer, you can use cameras from a specific brand; these things become an extension of your personality and help you enter the flow state; and when you do, it works automatically, and you enter the "no thoughts" state.
As you try to discover your own tools to access the flow, you may find it helpful to reflect on what has been going on with you, what you have been doing, and what you have been doing during the deepest flow states you have experienced. Even if it is just a few minutes, it will help you discover critical points about the process you are going through so that you achieve maximum productivity and deliver the best outcomes.