In a few recent posts, I've been talking about Flow, but what good is Flow anyway?
As a reminder:
A Flow State, also known as being in "the zone," is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity where the outside world disappears. In essence, Flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does and loses all sense of space and time. Flow states are known as Autotelic Experiences.
The benefits of Flow are numerous. Here is one that you can prove experimentally.
There is ample research to support the notion that our brains are working more efficiently in Flow. We get more done with fewer calories. The brain consumes about 20% of our total energy, about 320 calories per day. So efficient use of our brains is pretty valuable.
While viewing a lecture on Flow last week, I was presented with an illuminating study. Researchers gave a control group the classic 9-dot problem. This test is a mental puzzle that has been in use since at least 1919. The nine-dot problem is a traditional lateral thinking exercise that gained widespread popularity in the 1970s and '80s. Participants are presented with a set of dots arranged in a 3x3 grid and challenged to connect all nine dots without lifting their pencil from the paper, using only four straight lines.
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None of the participants could solve this in the allotted time. The research team dropped the second test group into flow states, and 20% of the individuals solved the puzzle in the time allotted.
I gave the puzzle a try myself, and after about 10 minutes, I gave up, for the time being.
I enjoy doing dishes. I've found it to be meditative. I do some of my best thinking while doing the dishes, running, driving in silence. While doing dishes that morning, I recognized that I was in Flow. I remembered while studying engineering in college and presented with a vexing problem, I would ponder the problem while walking to and from class. Often, I would find the key to solving problems while walking and in Flow. I started to consider the 9-dot problem, and in 5 minutes, I had a breakthrough. While driving to run errands, I visualized the solution in another few minutes. Eureka! Flow states elevate the brain's abilities.
I made this personal discovery on New Year's Eve. What a great way, I think to end the year; with a discovery.
I hope your New Year has begun with health, perspective, acceptance, forgiveness, and love.
More to come.
