The Power of Flow

Flow is the mental state we enter when we become so fully immersed in an activity that we lose awareness of time, space, even ourselves. 

To some, the idea of doing something for its own sake and for pure enjoyment may be somewhat foreign (I’m talking to the self-professed workaholics out there!), but the interesting thing about flow is that although it’s not achievement-driven, through flow it’s possible to achieve a high sense of satisfaction, joy, and self-worth. Bonus: Getting into flow regularly actually helps with your focus and productivity during goal-directed tasks.

The Power of Flow

If you’re focused on meeting goals to boost your self-esteem, aiming for flow at least once a day can be extremely helpful to cultivate self-acceptance and to detach yourself from focusing exclusively or mostly on achievement to strengthen your self-worth. 

Research has shown that when people are in a state of psychological flow, there’s a decrease in prefrontal cortex activity which is the part of the brain that governs self-reflective consciousness. Flow therefore may lead to quieting your inner critic as well as fostering a sense of relaxation and energization due to feeling less stress and time pressure.

An Exercise to Add Flow to Your Life

Each day, commit to getting into a flow state—twenty minutes of a dedicated activity is usually enough. (I find that this is most successful first thing in the morning or winding down in the evening.) On weekends or whenever your schedule may be more relaxed, you may choose to devote more time to a flow activity. But for now, commit to blocking out twenty minutes to knit, to draw, run, sing, dance—whatever activity works for you.

Not Sure Where to Begin?

Brainstorm a list of activities that you’d like to try to induce flow.

I recommend that you start with at least seven activities so you can do one flow activity each day for a week. There’s no limit to how many activities can go on your flow list, but if you try something that doesn’t get you into flow, erase or cross it out and move on to those that consistently work for you. Anything that meets the following requirements is an option:

1. You enjoy doing it for the sake of the activity, and not (solely) because of an external reward (like others praising you for it).
2. You remember positive emotions related to doing the activity (when you look forward to it, during the activity, and/or after).
3. You feel a sense of personal empowerment or see an opportunity for skills building and strengthening as you participate in it (for example, getting better at playing an instrument, learning how to knit, or doing a physical activity that makes you feel healthy and strong like a few yoga or tai chi poses).

Once you have your list, commit to doing one activity each day. In the beginning, it’s best to rotate through different activities to maintain variety (and eliminate boredom), as well as to zero in on which help you achieve flow state more easily. Once you have a few favorites, it’s perfectly fine to do the same flow activity a few days in a row.

Let me know how it goes, and if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Here’s to your happiness,

Dr. Judy Ho

I’m so excited to share that I’ve launched a brand new podcast, which you can listen to in Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or watch on YouTube!

My podcast is called Mental Health Bites with Dr. Judy. In just 10 minutes, we dive into a hot topic, answer your burning questions, and leave you with a practical tip to improve your mental wellness. 🌟

I created this podcast for people who love to learn and improve themselves, but find they don’t have the time to listen to an entire podcast from beginning to end. Mental Health Bites is designed to be consumable while you’re on the go - you can get all the wellness information you need in just 10 minutes!

Here's where you can check out the podcast:

Substack

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

YouTube

Order my book here: https://bit.ly/3MvuvvF

Follow me on LinkedIn

Follow me on Instagram

Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on X

About me:

Dr. Judy Ho, Ph. D., ABPP, ABPdN is a triple board certified and licensed Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, a tenured Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, television and podcast host, and author of Stop Self-Sabotage. An avid researcher and a two-time recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health Services Research Award, Dr. Judy maintains a private practice where she specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations and expert witness work. She is often called on by the media as an expert psychologist and is also a sought after public speaker for universities, businesses, and organizations.

Dr. Judy received her bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Business Administration from UC Berkeley, and her masters and doctorate from SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. She completed a National Institute of Mental Health sponsored fellowship at UCLA's Semel Institute.