Flow state is a phrase that gets tossed around these days.
“I’m in a good flow.”
“I’m not feeling the flow.”
“Go with the flow.”
“Don’t go with the flow.”
Somewhat confusing!
Flow state is partly a feeling, so as with all feelings there is a lot of subjectivity and spectrum to it. I might summarily say a flow state is when you feel good while doing something engaging. Vague, but a start.
I like to talk about flow state as it relates to exercise because connecting good feelings to something that is often perceived as discomfort or pain is interesting at least.
I first heard about flow state in the context of running and the often elusive “runner’s high.” I was fortunate enough to have had some good distance runs in my 20s where a feeling of euphoria set in, usually towards the middle and end of a 4+ mile effort, often on a trail where there is a lot of scenery, terrain variability, rolling hills, sun and shade, cold and warm, and just a lot of information for my brain to take in. I think it’s partly that: something that takes our mental focus out of the primary activity we are in, and into a more generalized awareness of the total experience.
Fortunately I’m not the only one who has experienced this, and running isn’t the only way it happens. Research has been done, and the concept generalized and. Now I see it and put it everywhere. The great news is: You can regularly achieve flow state by design.
Flow state is when the workout calls for 21 reps in a row, and you are able to do 22. Or 20. When the race is nail bitingly close, and you barely win. Or lose. When you have 3 hours to finish your term paper or presentation for work, and after a creative odyssey, you do it with only minutes to spare.
I think it’s important to highlight that the flow is not necessarily tied to exercise, or “winning” the scenario you are in, but simply fully engaging with it; losing yourself in it if you will. This happens most often when your abilities are closely matched to the requirements of the task at hand.
Try to remember some of your life’s peak moments. Start with exercise, or you can use your education, career, or more personal moments. I bet they fit into this model.
I remember going to the wrong final exam time after staying up all night studying for it, and running to the professor’s office to beg for a second chance.
I remember running my fastest mile ever (at age 15) by completely abandoning the pacing plan for me, and just trying to hang with the better runners I was matched against.
I, of course, can remember many workouts where I rode the edge on it and PR’d… or it ate my lunch.
I have also found that I can create artificial scenarios for myself that give a similar feeling to the more traditional flow states while doing mundane things: doing the dishes, folding clothes, taking out the trash… for time! Try it yourself and see :).
When I coach these days, I try to write most workouts such that your max unbroken reps are slightly ahead of what the workout calls for, so that in the middle of it when fatigue sets in you can wrestle with it and get lost in the effort.
Similarly with weight selection, pacing, how long to rest, etc. Just within your abilities, AMRAP. Admittedly, I often play it conservatively, because most people love the thrill of overcoming, and not so much the excitement of just barely missing. But it’s fine enough to ride the line too with a more experienced person. I will usually coach them that “it could go either way, but you’re going to go for it and that is our goal for today!”
The secret is: just pay attention to how you scale workouts for yourself and others. “Leave your ego at the door” gets real when it comes to this. When you make a workout too hard, try to keep up with others, etc., you lose the flow. I rarely see people make workouts too easy, but it can happen.
Apply it to the rest of your life as well if you want to. Set goals for your career and life that challenge you, but are within your realm of possibility, and you feel safe to try your best.
Know your numbers, or your clients’ numbers. Collect data, don’t guess. Make adjustments based on new data. Frame goals around achieving the flow state, rather than emphasizing the outcome. This doesn’t mean “don’t talk about outcomes,” just frame them. Similar to “trust the process,” but still open to having specific targets, and with more awareness of the psychological rewards you receive right now as a result of fully engaging with it. This will make you want to come back and achieve the state again, and again, and again, which when put towards constructive goals, leads to greatness.
Coach Mauricio