From Fear to Flow: How to Turn a Mounting Media Scare Into a Perfect Flow (Flow state training principles)
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re pretty overwhelmed right now. Today’s news cycle means it’s virtually impossible not to get overwhelmed when checking up on what’s going on in the outside world.
Staying at home during this stressful time can add another layer of anxiety, as it’s easy to feel like you’re trapped at home with no escape. Instead of feeling trapped, this is the perfect time to tune into your body and notice what your body is telling you.
Understanding flow
This is where flow comes in. Positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi states that flow is a state of complete immersion, kind of like when professional athletes are in the zone or top musicians are playing at the peak of their powers.
If you’ve ever found yourself fully and wholly focused on the task at hand, completely in the zone, then you’ve experienced flow.
Many of us are having to redefine who we are given this incredibly unique situation we are facing, which isn’t an easy task to do.
A 2016 study published in Frontiers in Psychology links achieving flow state with solidifying your identity in a particular place and time. This finding makes achieving flow all the more crucial in today’s turbulent times, with many of us wondering where to go from here.
Tuning into what’s not goodIncreasing awareness of your bodily cues to help guide your social media usage is very important. Lead in by talking about how flow leads to an ultimately more thorough understanding of how your body reacts to triggers, so it’s important to use this physical knowledge to help regulate your media intake.
According to Parsley Health’s wellness guide on building a healthy relationship with your phone, relying on one or two trusted media sources can help alleviate your mounting anxiety.
Notice the sites that give you an adverse reaction and use these heightened cues as a sign to step away. Our post on the Science Behind Flowcode notes that you can either act out of a fluid flow mode, engaging with the world around you, or else you can act out of fear that’s driven and fueled by anxieties.
Achieving the flow mode occurs when you deliberately calm yourself down and tune out what’s bothering you. Indeed, emptying yourself from all distractions and entering a clearer mind is always the first step to achieving flow.
With each passing day, there are more news stories and social media threads that contribute to the mass hysteria that we feel. However, just because these websites are in front of us doesn’t mean we have to necessarily pay attention to them.
You may find that you need to take deliberate action to restrain yourself from going down a rabbit hole full of bad news. That said, constantly tuning into your body and noticing the moments when the stress gets to you allows you to redirect the anxiety and channel that frenzy towards more meaningful tasks.
The next time you can feel your body getting tense when looking at the news, take a step back and pick up your journal, exercise, or try a new skill.
By doing this, it gives your body the necessary break from the stress and gives you the opportunity to channel that energy towards a perfect flow.
Piece written by Faye J.