What is a flow state?

A flow state is a mental state in which an individual is focused whole-heartedly in an activity - those times where you look up at the clock, time has flown by, and you pat yourself on the back for being productive.

How to get into a flow state

I’ve found through exploration that the following six strategies help me get out of a rut and into my flow state. I use these strategies for work and personal tasks alike.

1. Focus on a single task

I can’t listen to conversations or music with words because my brain is trying to capture the message that’s being communicated. This means:

  • no podcasts
  • no YouTube
  • no Netflix

I want my brain power to be focused at the task at hand, so that when I’ve completed a task or several, I can reward myself with a break by watching or listening to something.

Multi-tasking and being able to juggle shifting priorities at work are two different things. You can be aware of the current status of three different projects by tackling one task at a time, where you determine the order in which tasks need to be completed. I’m never in two meetings at the same time - because how productive would that be? I think of tasks as meetings with myself, where my expectation for myself is that that I’ll be focusing on a given task at a given time.

2. Listen to instrumental music

I have three working modes:

  1. The “I gotta find my groove” warm-up mode
  2. The relaxed “Cool, I’m making progress” mode
  3. The very amped “BOOYAH! LET’S DO THIS” mode

Oftentimes, regardless of my work mode, I find it helpful to listen to music. Be kind to your ears and find a comfortable set of headphones that fit your ears and head - don’t sabotage yourself by being uncomfortable.

When I’m in my warm-up and super amped working modes, I enjoy listening to pump-up music, mostly electronic music. When I’m warming up, it helps me get into the groove, and when I’m pumped, it keeps my energy high. On the other hand, when I’m relaxed and motivated, I’m typically listening to either jazz or Lo-Fi.

3. Tidy your workstation

It’s easier for me to get my work done when a chore like cleaning up a cluttered desk isn’t staring right back at me. I won’t necessarily really clean up right then and there when I want to start working, but organize papers into piles based on what I need access to at the moment to complete the task I’m working on. I suggest either putting items back in their proper place immediately, or for the time being, move it so it’s not distracting - let it be the floor or in another room - and put it away later. I don’t care - I’m not your mom. Sometimes the chore of properly putting items a way is a disguise for procrastination. For this reason, you may prefer to sort through your papers later in the day or when I want to take a break - when peak brain function isn’t required. The task at hand probably requires more brain power than it will take for me to go through the papers and truly clear the clutter - I’ll do that when I want to take a break from my task.

4. Move around and map it out

I love brainstorming and planning on a white board or using Post-It Notes arranged on brown kraft paper I have attached to a flat surface - let it be a wall, door, or table. I find it incredibly satisfying to write everything down and see it all at once - plus, it’s an opportunity to step away from my desk. For example, I enjoy the tactile interactions of moving around Post-It Notes on a large sheet of kraft paper when I’m project planning and building a dependency diagram.

Once I’m done with the planning activity, I’ll take a photo of it to reference when I’m back at my desk and type up what I mapped out.

5. Take a break

When you feel yourself slipping out of your flow state, getting tired, or otherwise feel like you’re fighting yourself - I recommend taking a break. Instead of hitting your head against the wall for 20 minutes, trying to think of that missing piece, or trying to figure out where to begin, do something else - work on a different task, go for a walk and listen to a podcast, or fold the laundry. Shower thoughts (epiphanies that occur when our brain is relaxed) occur in lots of places, and having one come to mind can be the ignition you need when you sit back down to be focused.

This has been the most challenging practice to implement personally, but - oh man - it really works for me. I too often would say to myself, “Just think a bit harder, and you’ll get past this mental block,” or when I lacked motivation, “Come on, just do it so you can check it off the list.” I’m now much better at stepping away from an unproductive situation, to allow myself to come back with a better mindset.

6. Schedule focus time

I have one afternoon each week blocked out on my work calendar as an event called “no meetings.” This is time I reserve for myself, ensuring I have several consecutive hours each week where I’m not interrupted by my coworkers. You schedule meetings with your coworkers, do the same thing for yourself! Don’t try to schedule all of your focus time - I certainly don’t. Everything can’t be scheduled - much like how it’s very likely that you probably have spontaneous conversations with your coworkers outside of scheduled meetings, productive periods often happen organically.