Put your Brain in Sport Mode — This Blissful Hack can Turbocharge your Performance
We all know the feeling of being so enthralled with your task that you don’t notice the hours flying by — your brain devotes all of its capacity to one thing putting you in „flow.“ Similar to putting a car in „sport mode,“ being in flow is where we are most productive and fulfilled. It’s a divine sweet spot of human performance that some of the best minds on the planet spend a lot of time in. It is less prevalent in the business world due to the nature of many jobs being mundane and plagued with administrative tasks, like pointless meetings, answering slack messages and or cleaning up your CRM – but I’m always fascinated with the question of reaching this state in my daily life because it’s such a sweet sensation.
Working in sales I only reach this state during certain moments during the day and I find it hard to reach flow, but working on my side projects, where I have more control over what and how I work, I've made it possible to enter flow more frequently.
For those of you who wondered if this is something that you can reach on demand, there’s good news for you: scientists have found ways you can increase the chances of reaching flow on a consistent basis.
Before we dive into that, let me explain why it is important to spend time in flow daily for your overall life satisfaction and development.
When you're in a flow state, your brain releases several chemicals, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and endorphins. These neurotransmitters not only heighten your focus and energy, making you more productive, but they also enhance your creative thinking.
The heightened focus allows your brain to process information more efficiently and make connections it might not otherwise make, leading to innovative solutions and ideas.
Imagine your brain as a supercharged engine in a flow state, running smoother and faster than usual. It's like having a secret formula that helps you work quickly, come up with brilliant ideas, and solve problems like a pro.
Flow occurs at the sweet spot where the challenge at hand matches your skill level, pushing you just outside of your comfort zone. This balance is crucial for learning and skill development. Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to form new neural connections, is stimulated under these conditions. Essentially, when you're in flow, your brain is in an optimal state to learn new things and get better at what you're doing.
Being in a flow state reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol and increases the release of feel-good chemicals in your brain. This not only lowers stress levels but also boosts your mood. The sense of accomplishment and mastery you gain from overcoming challenges in flow contributes to long-term happiness and satisfaction, as supported by research in positive psychology.
Steven Kotler, considered the world’s most respected researcher on flow, isolated the following triggers to help you get into flow state.
The more triggers you have at any given time, the faster and deeper you will enter flow state.
Here are the triggers:
- Clear goals
- Immediate Feedback
- Challenge/Skills Balance
Firstly, having clear goals provides a roadmap for our actions, helping us stay focused and motivated. Secondly, immediate feedback lets us know how we're doing in real-time, allowing us to adjust and improve as we go along. And finally, finding the right balance between challenge and skill is crucial; tasks should be neither too easy nor too difficult, but just right to keep us engaged and stretching our abilities. When these triggers align, we're more likely to experience that magical state of flow where productivity and enjoyment soar.
Designing your work according to these triggers can do wonders to help you enter flow more often.
How can you use these three factors to integrate them into your current work to make it more engaging?
Optimizing your day and work life for flow is a fun challenge but also a powerful hack that can turbocharge whatever it is you want to accomplish. It's not only about following the triggers, but choosing carefully what you work on, such that you find purpose in whatever it is you do. I'm still figuring it out as well, but I found a helpful way to start learning more is this youtube channel:
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