Recently in Flow Category

When are you in the "flow" of things?

By rkac on March 11, 2010 2:58 PM | 4 Comments
The only magazine I currently subscribe to is Cosmo.  However, while perusing their site, I found that there are way more articles and topics on their site than in the mag (not surprising!).  I came across one article about a book by Daniel H. Pink entitled Drive.  In his book, he discusses intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation and flow.  We all experience days when we wake up and feel like the day should be over... Every class feels like it's never ending, you sit down to do work but nothing happens... But then, we all have also experienced those "miracle" days when you wake up and the next thing you know, it's time for bed!  You just get so caught up in all of the day's activities, that the day just flew by!
As we've learned in class, it's much more likely that tasks will be completed accurately and more quickly when we have an inner desire to do them - the activity is interesting, we enjoy the material, etc... aka intrinsic motivation.  This is the way we are also most likely to experience "flow."  According to Reeve (2005), flow is described as "a state of concentration that involves a holistic absorption in an activity" (p. 115).
What we most experience when we complete tasks is extrinsic motivation.  For example, we have our part-time (or full-time for some) jobs to make some money - not because it's really something we love to do.  When we don't love to do something - we aren't interested, don't enjoy it, and don't care too much, you won't experience flow.  
However, Pink argues that YOU can experience flow every day, all day.  In his book, he describes 9 strategies to produce flow more often.  I apologize, as I couldn't find any excerpts  of the 9 strategies, but the Cosmo article reports that one way to experience flow more often is to recognize when you are most likely to experience it.  By doing so, you should "give yourself a 'flow' test - set an alarm to go off randomly 40 times during the week.  Each time it goes off, write down what you're doing, how you feel, and whether you're in 'flow' or not."  This will allow you to look back and reflect the situations and environments you were in when you experienced flow, permitting you to recreate those times every day.
Furthermore, Daniel Pink's website discusses the book.  This description states that the book outlines the 3 elements of true motivation - autonomy, mastery, and purpose.  He also elaborates by discussing how we can achieve these 3 elements, in order to increase our motivation -- and drive.

Flow in Physical Activity

By marissa on February 23, 2010 8:03 PM | 0 Comments

"Flow" is an experiential condition that is characterized by a state of intense and focused concentration on what an individual is doing. Actions and awareness merge together as the individual experiences a loss of self-consciousness while maintaining a deep sense of control. Time seems to slow down and ruminative thoughts and worries evaporate. The individual is so completely absorbed in the task they are performing that a state of autotelic motivation occurs in which they find the activity in and of itself rewarding.

This article by Bryan Loy describes how a state of flow is achieved by runners in particular. It is discussed that this state is achieved when there is a balance of skill and demand--the opportunities for challenge meet the personal skills and competencies of the individual. A Flow State Scale (FSS) has been created by Jackson and Marsh (1996) that assesses those conditions that highly contribute to the achievement of flow. The sub-scales are provided as follows:

-          Action-Awareness Merging: involvement in the task is so deep that the action is automatic

-          Clear Goals: knowing what you want from the activity before taking part in it

-          Unambiguous Feedback: clear and immediate feedback is given

-          Concentration on the Task at Hand: complete focus on the task

-          Sense of Control: the individual possesses control but doesn't have to work to maintain it

-          Loss of Self-Consciousness: no other thoughts are occurring--just focused on the task at hand

-          Transformation of Time: feeling that time is slowing down or speeding up

-          Autotelic Experience: the task is intrinsically motivating and is done for its own sake

-          Challenge-Skill Balance: equality between situational demands and personal skills--the activity is stimulating and challenging enough to allow the full use of individual skills

In any physical activity, it is suggested that the mindset going in should be to feel good and hit each workout with relative ease whether it is the most challenging you have experienced or not. While this is easier said than done, it would be a method of matching personal skills and demands. Before each workout, let go of any expectations of a top performance. By letting go of these expectations, you can enjoy the activity for its own sake and increase the likelihood of experiencing an autotelic state. During the workout be sure to associate with the overall experience.  Action-awareness merging, concentration on the task at hand and a loss of self-consciousness are likely to occur. Transformation of time is perhaps the most challenging to manipulate, but by concentrating on the other sub-scales transformation of time will just happen.

What activities have caused you to experience a state of flow? According to the FSS sub-scales, is there anything you can do to increase the likelihood of reoccurring flow experiences in multiple areas of your life? How would making these changes improve your performance and boost your confidence?

 

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