EP.20 - GETTING IN THE ZONE

The scientific term for being ‘in the zone’ is called flow so in this week’s episode we’re talking about getting into this state of flow and what it’s going to mean for our achievement levels. We perform at the ultimate level when we are in this state.

To get into this state, we need to be doing something or trying to achieve something that is equal part challenging to equal part doable. This means that our skills have to match. The sweet spot is when we have the skills to complete a challenging task. This is when we will feel the flow effect. If either is too low, we can feel either a rush of anxiety or a rush of relaxation.

Both these feels are ok in small doses though.

Anxiety: We need anxiety in our lives in order to be prepared for the challenges that we may face in life, but too much anxiety leads to stress and when the brain releases too much of the stress hormone, this is when we are very prone to panic attacks.

Relaxation: Too much relaxation will cause us to become uninterested and lazy. This in itself is ok, but too much of it and it can be a hard hole to climb out of. If you don’t watch out, it can be a very slippery slope. 

Check out the graph below where explains where we can find flow.

Flow graph

 

Below is a TED Talk that was done by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 2004 on the Flow State.

This is one of the best videos I’ve seen on the subject.

Another talk presented by Mihaly on Happiness.