Happiness in Flow

I have been toying with the concept of flow over the course of the semester. It is definitely a concept that has resonated with me; maybe it’s because it’s because of my interest in psychology, but I was immediately drawn to it.  Flow was developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihayli and describes “a 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”. Therefore, one could say, the individual isn’t necessarily focused on the outcome of the activity, but the process of getting there and they are completely absorbed in what they are doing. “People are happiest when they are in a state of flow” – I couldn’t agree more. I feel that this can lead to joie de vivre!

Components that constitute the flow experience, as described by Csikszentmihayli are:
1.    Intense and focused concentration on the present moment
2.    Merging of action and awareness
3.    Loss of reflective self consciousness
4.    Sense of personal control or agency over situation or activity
5.    Distortion of temporal experience
6.    Experience of activity as intrinsically rewarding

Csikszentmihayli also describes that both the challenge level and skill level need to be high in order to achieve flow. On the other end of the spectrum, if challenge level and skill level are low, apathy and boredom can set in. Also, intrinsic motivation is what drives the flow activity. Studies have shown that intrinsic motivation leads to an increase in overall happiness of the individual. This is understandable, since an individual can feel in control and not doing something because they have to or to achieve extrinsic goals.

Flow can be applied to various situations, but originally it was observed in artistic expression. Watching various artists or performers you can tell that they are completely immersed in the moment and fully enjoying it. However, I feel that it can also be applied to professional situations. As the concept of flow was introduced in class, my first association was my colleagues at Woodstone Residence, a treatment facility for youth suffering from eating disorders. I have the privilege to work with such an amazing team! Everyone is so dedicated and goes over and beyond to make the biggest impact for our residents. There is such a cohesiveness among the team, but watching my colleagues, I feel that they are also individually in a state of flow – not doing things because of their job description, but because they genuinely care! I think flow in the workplace is important for employee satisfaction as well as optimal performance. I came across a tool based on Csikszentmihayli’s research, “Happiness at Work” that is used to asses for the presence of flow in the workplace.

Now, I am writing my final paper, and I catch myself getting excited about my topic, so I may be in a state of flow as well! When I finish with this state of flow, I would like to do more research on flow itself :)