How to Achieve a Flow State

Many creatives long to achieve that elusive “flow state,” where things seem to happen with effortless ease.

Perhaps you’ve experienced this. You’re delivering a presentation or speaking to people when suddenly you recall an article you read last year that mentioned a concept relevant to what you are sharing, or an arcane fact that supports your point. They are not in your notes or your slides. You just spontaneously recall them.

Or someone asks you a random question and somehow the information just comes to you, seemingly out of nowhere. Those moments where something comes out of you and you wonder, “where did that even come from?” “How would I know that?” But you do know it.

Facing a decision, you just know intuitively how to proceed. You don’t need to think about it or overthink it.

It just all comes together.

The experience in which you’re fully-engaged and focused, is sometimes referred to as a “flow state of mind” — but it’s not only about the mind.

It’s a body/mind fluency.

Flow state is a full-system engagement.

When you’re fully present and engaged in what you’re doing, you don’t need your to-do list or your checklists; you don’t need to remember research or look things up. What you need just comes to you.

Or, more accurately, it comes through you.

How to Achieve a Flow State

The conditions for achieving a flow state aren’t as elusive as people think. The key is to to keep the channel open.

Nothing flows when your body is contracted in fear or anger, when it’s knotted in anxiety or worry, slumped over in sadness or despair.

Flow state happens when the body is open, which happens when there’s a felt sense of safety and comfort, which can happen even in the midst of a challenge.

Flow state requires trust and connection, with yourself and with others.

You can get there by moving your body and your breath, by slowing down, ignoring the clock.

Flow states happen when you create spaciousness to immerse and give yourself permission to ignore social media and the outside world for a while.

Flow states happen when you get out of your mind and into your heart and body.