Transcendent Aging, Key #5: Engagement: Flow

Dr Anne Hilty

Counseling, Wellness Coaching, Workshops. Online sessions / classes, global outreach. Background in integrative health care.

Published Jul 4, 2024

As we age, we’re expected to disengage.

Or so say those normative expectations of aging we saw in the introduction. And I admit: while I’m resistant to anyone else telling me to ‘disengage’, as an aging introvert I find the idea of retreating into my solitude appealing. To a degree.

As we saw, this expectation was primarily one of disengaging from our professional identity and/or the active raising of a family, aka, retirement. Many claim to be more socially active in later years than ever before, as they have time to do so; we know that ongoing social engagement is essential for healthy aging. (Even for us introverts.)

The engagement in this key, however, is something else: our deep engagement with the present moment, to absorbing and often creative activity, to life itself, and in the transpersonal scheme, to the mystical (metaphysical) (spiritual) realm. In positive psychology, this phenomenon has been identified as the ‘flow state’.

We all know it. When fully absorbed in a sport, creative, or otherwise engaging activity, our attention is laser-focused: the activity is something we love, our passion carries us, our goals are clear; the outer world fades into the distance, time is distorted, and we become one with the activity itself. The artist describes art as a force that flows through; the writer, that characters and story develop themselves -- and the toddler truly doesn’t hear Mum calling.

Transpersonal and transcendent by definition, this is also psychological engagement at its purest, as universal connectedness, as mystical experience. Engagement has continuity throughout the lifespan (Freire et al., 2021; Tse, Nakamura, & Csikszentmihalyi, 2022), and among older adults is a strong predictor of vitality or zest for life (Chang, 2020).

Prediction of engagement can be found in its self-perpetuating nature: once experienced, never forgotten, and sought out again and again. As we age, however, we often choose not to engage in new activities, in a false belief that they’re too difficult; if we do engage, however, we overcome this barrier (Hess et al., 2021). Also with age, we’re more likely to engage within a group than independently (Worm et al., 2021), while the flow state has also been found in more leisurely activities of older adults when attention and pleasure are predominant (Standridge et al., 2020). One such is gardening, both at home and in community (Scott et al., 2020) – and even virtual gardening (Szczepańska-Gieracha et al., 2021).

In fact, virtual and augmented reality are opening up a whole new world of potential engagement for older adults, with endless possibilities. Online engagement, too: in a study by Chen et al. (2022), older adults who were technologically savvy and regularly engaged online reported greater communication with family and friends, more independence and sense of self-efficacy, involvement in online communities, increased wellbeing and life satisfaction, and decreased risk of depression. While this also constitutes social engagement, we all know about that total absorption online as hours go by, and it can thus represent both meanings of ‘engagement’.

And let’s include a word about solitary activity. Once thought to indicate isolation and loneliness, in today’s overly busy world (and on the heels of the recent pandemic with its mandated solitude), it’s increasingly valued precisely in terms of engagement and individual pursuits. When by choice, with a sense of agency and focused on goal-directed activities, solitary activity is not only considered healthy but an opportunity for psychological development (Kay et al., 2023).

Retaining one’s passion for, enjoyment of, and deep absorption in pleasurable, goal-driven activities as we age is a primary goal, and zest for life, or vitality, a major indicator of health. This engagement or flow also represents self-transcendence in that we are one with the cosmos and engaged in universal connectedness and oceanic boundlessness; the ‘self’ ceases to exist and pure pleasure and, often, creativity remain.

Flow. In the zone. Zen.

Exercises:

Flow is generated by rhythmic movement, or moving meditation, which is why it’s so prevalent in sports and exercise. Adopt a daily form of moving meditation – a stretching routine, perhaps (yoga or otherwise), with soft music in the background and a lit candle in the room, or similar. As you stretch, quiet your mind, connect deeply to the movement and enjoyment of your body, and allow your mind to float.

The flow state is also deeply connected to the natural world. Get yourself into nature regularly, by whatever means suits you. Whether walking in the forest or sitting in a garden, try to immerse yourself in the natural world and apart from the mundane, sitting still and quieting the mind, and breathing with the trees and plants and creatures around you.

Breathe deeply. A flow state can be induced by breathwork – deep and/or patterned breathing for a sustained period of time. Strictly speaking, this isn’t meditation; you can have eyes opened and not aim for an altered state of consciousness so much as a physical shift in which, by your focused breathing, your body reaches a state of deep relaxation and oneness with the surrounding environment.

Transcendent Aging, Key #5: Engagement: Flow

Dr Anne Hilty

Counseling, Wellness Coaching, Workshops. Online sessions / classes, global outreach. Background in integrative health care.

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