Next time your boss catches you playing online Sudoku at your computer, tell her a happy employee is a productive employee. Scientific evidence may actually back you up. It’s possible engaging in a pursuit in which challenge meets skill causes you to experience what psychologists refer to as “flow.”Those who experience flow are generally happier and feel more fulfilled than those who don’t. The good news is, just about anyone can find a way to increase flow in their lives.Coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced chik-sent-ma-hai), flow describes a state of complete immersion that produces intrinsic pleasure within those who participate in activities that allow them to block all outside influences.As Csikszentmihalyi wrote in his book “Finding Flow,” “Athletes refer to it as being ‘in the zone,’ religious mystics as being in ‘ecstasy,’ artists and musicians as ‘aesthetic rapture’.” Flow activities cause you to break away from the mundane and experience life to the fullest, without distractions.Art Markman, Ph.D., professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Texas at Austin, and YouBeauty Psychology Advisor, says most people have felt this type of transcendence. You find yourself in a trance while painting, fully focused on your chess game or totally in sync with numbers while figuring your taxes.To identify activities you can really get immersed in, try making daily diary entries in which you reflect on the day’s happenings and how they affected your disposition. You’ll be able to pinpoint the more enjoyable parts of life, thereby increasing how often you engage in them.S. Katherine Nelson, M.A., who works in the Positive Psychology Lab at University of California, Riverside, says to achieve this heightened sense of captivation, you need to participate in an activity that:
- Allows you to feel a degree of competence
- Challenges you enough to keep you engaged
- Prohibits you from becoming frustrated (too challenging) or bored (not challenging enough)
Milwaukee teacher Marisa Wall tends to experience complete immersion when she does yoga, paints, dances, bakes and cleans. In the midst of these activities, she says she feels happy, part of something greater and as if time doesn’t matter.“A state of flow can emerge during any activity in which I’m not preoccupied or worried about something. I’m not comparing myself to anyone else. I’m present and focused on something other than my troubles or my loneliness,” Wall says.Nelson says happier people tend to experience more immersive activities. Wall says she believes it.“I’m able to find gratitude for my surroundings, my body, the magic of what happens when two paints mix together or a whisk transforms an egg yolk. I notice the beauty around me. But that transformative effect happens more frequently when I slow down and have time to focus on creativity or health,” Wall says.Dr. Markman adds it’s pivotal to make time to create the conditions that are conducive to complete immersion. Clear time and space so that you won’t be interrupted or feel pressed for time. Experiencing immersion regularly results in improved concentration, self-esteem and health.Which means making time for activities you love is important, whether it be cooking, gardening, swimming, building a website from scratch or anything in which you find yourself engaged.The key factor is engagement—flow requires your mind to be completely present in the activity, which means as much as you might love a “Project Runway” marathon, you’re not likely to find flow through passive leisure activities like watching TV.“TV doesn’t have the active engagement that flow states require, and it isn’t challenging. Your eyes are occupied by images, but your mind isn’t forcing you to think deeply,” Dr. Markman says.What activities do you get lost in? Make them a priority in your life and take your happiness to a new level.Spa Week is April 21-27! That means you can indulge in a slew of spa treatments for a wallet-friendly and guilt-free $50 a pop. Start booking your appointments at one of the 800 participating spas right now at the Spa Week website.
