COVID 19 DAYS – READ – FLOW :THE PSYCHOLOGY OF OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE
– MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI
Part psychological study, part self-help book, Finding Flow is a prescriptive guide that helps us reclaim ownership of our lives.
Based on a far-reaching study of thousands of individuals, Finding Flow contends that we often walk through our days unaware and out of touch with our emotional lives.
Our inattention makes us constantly bounce between two extremes: during much of the day we live filled with the anxiety and pressures of our work and obligations, while during our leisure moments, we tend to live in passive boredom.
The key, according to Csikszentmihalyi, is to challenge ourselves with tasks requiring a high degree of skill and commitment. Instead of watching television, play the piano.
Transform a routine task by taking a different approach. In short, learn the joy of complete engagement. Though they appear simple, the lessons in Finding Flow are life-altering.
Csikszentmihalyi also found that several types of activities such as sports, games, or art can consistently produce flow. But since we can’t do only sports, games, or art all the time, it is crucial to be able to transform other types of activities that we do on a day-to-day basis to be a flow-inducing one.
Overall, I really like this book and would recommend it to anyone, especially those who are currently struggling and/or experiencing adversity in their life. It really helps to bring everything into perspective that “everything may not be as bad as it seems”, that perhaps it’s just our mindset, and there are steps that we can take to cope with it. What I have learned most from this book is that the key to happiness does indeed come from within; it’s all in the mindset and perspective that we use to look at our situation. It will take time and practice to attune them, but I believe it is definitely doable!
Click here to read the book
How to Achieve Flow and Happiness in Your Work
So how do you achieve this mystical state of being? Do you need to meditate or chant anything? No, you don’t (although meditation can improve your ability to concentrate). And Flow is anything but mystical — it’s very practical, and achieving it isn’t mysterious.
It can take practice, but you’ll get better at it. Here are the key steps to achieving and benefiting from Flow:
- Choose work you love.
- Choose an important task.
- Make sure it’s challenging, but not too hard.
- Find your quiet, peak time.
- Clear away distractions.
- Learn to focus on that task for as long as possible.
- Enjoy yourself.
- Keep practicing.
- Reap the rewards. Aside from the pleasure of getting into Flow, you’ll also be happier with your work overall. You’ll get important stuff done. You’ll complete stuff more often, rather than starting and stopping frequently. All of this is hugely satisfying and rewarding. Take the time to appreciate this, and to continue to practice it every day.
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