Flow & Focus Masterclass (Part 1)

Introduction To Flow

Have you ever tried to complete a task that should have taken 60-90 minutes, but after slaving away 6-8 hours, the task was left unfinished and postponed to the next day?

Have you ever experienced the horrible feeling of productivity guilt? Delaying doing what you know you should be doing, half the days are gone but you still didn’t manage to do it?

We live in a world full of distractions, multitasking, and chronic stress.

The way we win and grow is by mastering the skill of flow and focus.

Let’s define flow.

Flow is a state of effortless effort. It’s a state that makes work easy. Where stress vanishes and you get into any task with ease.

According to the Godfather of flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, being immersed can be defined as a state of focus in which a person is completely absorbed and engrossed in their work.

Now that you know what flow is, let’s break the neuroscience of flow.

The Science Of Flow

Flow state is caused by neurochemicals in our brain such as norepinephrine, dopamine, anandamide, serotonin, and endorphins. According to the researcher Steven Kotler, all five of these are performance-enhancing neurochemicals that amplify intellectual and cognitive performance.

Flow and focus have triggers.

Once those triggers arrive, you’ll be able to get in the flow with ease.

Those triggers are the following:

• Complete concentration – full dedication to the task.

• Distraction management – removing all distractions (internal + external).

• Novelty – doing something new and unique you haven’t done before.

• Unpredictability – doing something without knowing what’s going to happen.

• Complexity – working on something that takes a lot of brain power.

• Awe – doing something amazing that fascinates you, and you are passionate about.

Flow has 5 main intrinsic motivators/drivers.

1) Curiosity

2) Passion

3) Purpose

4) Autonomy

5) Mastery

The task you are doing will fall into one of these five drivers.

You don’t have to force it, it will automatically fall.

Navigating The Pillars Of Flow

Flow Blockers – The Invisible Chains

Have you ever experienced the horrible feeling of productivity guilt? Delaying doing what you know you should be doing, half the days are gone but you still didn’t manage to do it?

If that’s the case then this happened to you because of the flow blockers.

Flow blockers stop you from doing any action or task you set yourself up for.

Some of the most common blockers are the following:

• Multitasking

• Phone

• Social Media

The first thing 80% of people do is check their phone within 15 minutes of waking up.

The best thing one can do to avoid this flow blocker is to use a technique called flow before phone. It’s a golden rule you can stick to. First, you get your 2-3 hours of flow block done and you do the most important task of the day and then you can check your phone.

The conditions we’re living in these days, the chaotic and distracting environment, prevent flow from kicking in. We’re evolutionary prone to flow and every single one of us can experience it. Start acknowledging your flow blockers and consciously start getting rid of them.

Flow Proneness – The Setting Stage

Next, we have flow proneness. Let’s say you have removed all the blockers and you still struggle to get in the flow state. It’s because you haven’t properly primed your physiology, psychology, and environment.

This second pillar is focused on the likelihood of getting in the zone. You need to ensure that your environment is conducive to flow and to maximize the likelihood of accessing the state in the easiest and fastest way possible.

The best way to do this is to get to work and in the flow within 90 seconds after waking up. There is a science behind it. Neuroscientifically, your flow proneness is the highest first thing in the morning. The theta/delta brain waves of sleep are similar to the alpha/theta brain waves of flow.

Flow Triggers – The Catalyst

Mihai Csikszentmihalyi, the godfather of flow, and researchers like Steven Kotler have pinpointed triggers that immediately drive us into the flow.

More triggers present during an activity result in:

• Accessing flow faster

• Getting deeper into the flow

• Longer time sustaining flow

Triggers could be having clear goals and immediate feedback. As well as finding the right challenge-skills balance.

Engaging in tasks that are about 4% more difficult than your current skill level will help you get into the zone.

If the challenge is too low, we'll be understimulated and feel bored. If the challenge is too high, we'll be overstimulated and feel anxious.

If you feel understimulated, increase your challenge.

Raise your target/volume for things you are currently doing.

If you feel overstimulated, decrease your challenge.

Find the balance between boredom and anxiety. You'll find flow in the middle.

Flow Cycle – A Continous Journey

Flow isn’t binary.

Research by Benson found it's a stage of a four-part cycle:

1) Struggle as you start a task.

2) Release as you persist with sustained focus.

3) Flow delivers greater creativity.

4) Recovery.

The next section of this training is about the flow cycle and everything you need to know.

Foundations Of Flow – 4 Cycles

Cycle 1: STRUGGLE

This stage is characterized by a high level of stress (the release of cortisol and norepinephrine). This cocktail of stress chemicals creates an itch to stop working on the task and do something more engaging and pleasurable. Anything else just for the feel-good dopamine that soothes the system.

This is the pre-flow stage which also feels like hard work, pushing against a boulder up a hill as well as pushing your limits. Usually, when we’re in this stage, we’re grappling with a problem or a task that feels like it’s impossible to solve.

The whole situation of this stage feels as far from flow as one could get.

Here is the key for this stage that is crucial:

If you interrupt this struggle phase, you reset the cycle to the beginning. You won’t get anywhere. You circle back to the pre-flow state – struggle. Based on many researchers, it takes around 23 minutes to regain focus once you interrupt the pattern. This also means that it requires way more willpower and energy to get into the first cycle of flow.

Many entrepreneurs and individuals in general get stuck in this stage. It’s like they are trying to catch a nice wave to surf on, but they can’t. No matter how hard they try.

To get into the 2nd cycle of the flow, you need to persist through the struggle. The feeling of struggle is a short sign that you are on the right path to flow. The more you can link struggle to a reward of being in the flow state, the easier it will be and the more you’ll crave it.

That’s because of the dopamine.

So when you see a hill, sprint.

Cycle 2: RELEASE

This stage occurs when you step back from the problem/task providing a period of relaxation that allows the subconscious mind to take over from any conscious effort.

It’s like you got the big boulder to the top of the hill and now you are presented with this amazing view from the hill as well as the feeling of relief – an opportunity for you to breathe.

In this second cycle, your brain waves shift from Beta frequency (normal waking consciousness) to the Alpha wave frequency which is associated with relaxation and daydreaming.

To trigger the response and release into the flow, according to researcher Benson, take a boring break. Don’t grab your phone in the middle of your flow blocks. Don’t read anything. Don’t watch or listen to anything.

Do nothing.

Pay attention to your surroundings or something something simple such as brewing yourself a cup of coffee, doing a couple of jumping jacks, or starting at the wall.

Cycle 3: FLOW STATE

This is the stage when the big boulder you were pushing up the hill starts rolling down the other side of the hill on its own, accelerating rapidly with a compounding speed.

During this stage of full focus, creativity, and immersion in the task, your brain produces a Theta wave pattern, generally associated with increased creativity and insights.

There is also released a cocktail of neurochemicals such as norepinephrine, dopamine, anandamide, serotonin, and endorphins (as mentioned before).

These chemicals further amplify focus, endurance, and heightened pattern recognition.

You’re working on a task that is 4% above your challenge-skill balance. Usually, it’s a leaver moving task, it’s important and it’s a bit difficult.

One thing to remember here is that your focus and flow state won’t be linear. You’re going to be experiencing a bit of ups and downs. That’s okay. It’s normal.

If you notice you are drifting off, you find yourself distracted… bring yourself back to the present moment. Take a deep breath and go back to what you were doing.

Don’t stop or don’t try to do anything else. If you go back to what you were doing, you will enter the flow state once again. Keep your eyes on the task.

Cycle 4: RECOVERY

After the exertion of flow state, your body and mind need time to rest.

Neurochemically, the body replenishes the neurotransmitters and expands in the Flow State.

You also clear the allostatic load which is the cumulative wear and tear on the body + brain that comes from stress.

This is the phase of victory – your boulder reached the bottom of the hill.

One thing to remember when it comes to recovery, it’s different than relaxation.

Those are two different things. Recovery recuperates your physiology and brain.

Netflix, Gin & Tonic, or McDonalds (as a form of “relaxation”) won’t do that.

What will do is a sauna, ice baths, and sleep.

These reduce our static load which turns you into the baseline faster and boosts resilience.

It’s called the satisfying fatigue – flow afterglow.

It only comes after riding the wave of flow and the neurochemistry that it brings for an extended time. With the flow afterglow, the body shifts to a parasympathetic state.

Your emotions steer toward calm and contentment and you can relax into deep sleep.

Clearing the metabolic waste from the brain through the glymphatic system.

Simplification Of The 4 Flow Cycles

You don’t have to remember this by heart.

All you need to remember about the 4 flow cycles is this:

• There is a PRE-FLOW stage (Struggle)

• There is the FLOW stage (Focus)

• There is an AFTER-FLOW stage (Recovery)

Think of your flow blocks and days like this and it’s going to be much easier to execute.

Stay tuned for the Part 2!

To your success,

Miriam