Find Your Flow: Boost Focus and Productivity for Better Learning
Hi Team,
A powerful force for developing our ability to learn is a process called Flow. Flow is a way of achieving focus and improving our efficiency, by utilising methods to eliminate distractions, setting clear goals and ensuring that we challenge ourselves. Anyone can apply these methods to achieve Flow in their daily lives and when it comes to learning, this is a must have to see your learning efficiency increase.
The Four Stages of Flow
Flow is the process of achieving focus and improving our efficiency, achieved through four stages:
1. Struggle: The first stage of Flow is the hardest, as we look to overcome thoughts of procrastination, distraction and potentially any other desire that is linked into not focusing down on the task at hand.
2. Relaxation: This stage between struggle and Flow is the early part of our brain beginning to concentrate, and we are willing to embrace the challenge of the work required. As your thoughts, begin to calm, you will notice that concentration levels are improving.
3. Flow: This is the stage where you are at optimum working levels, fully focused on the task at hand. Our cognitive functions are optimised, leading to heightened creativity, problem-solving abilities and efficiency. This is the desired stage, when distractions fade away and the work feels almost effortless.
4. Consolidation: Once you have been through the Flow stage, it is crucial to take advantage of the period you have just had. Review and note what you have accomplished, so that you can track the data around your efficiency through Flow.
Enemies of Flow
There are four key enemies of Flow which have the potential to reduce your efficiency to learn:
1. Multitasking: To enter our Flow state, multitasking must be avoided at all costs. Despite what people may say about their ability to multitask, to enter Flow on a task, your attention must be solely focused on the matter at hand.
2. Stress: If we are stressed around a task then the likelihood is that our fight-or-flight response will be triggered, which creates challenges to enter a state of Flow. These negative emotions need to be addressed before we can move forward.
3. Fear of Failure: Having any level of self-doubt is going to create the potential for a reduction in effort and minimise the level of action we take. Furthermore, motivation is likely to be at a low level and we will fall victim to distraction more easily, as defeat is already being conceded.
Finding Flow
Having outlined the stages of Flow and the potential enemies that we may face, the next important question is; how can we find Flow regularly? Completing the five steps below, will take you a long way on your journey to finding Flow:
1. Eliminate Distractions: Start with removing any possible distractions, such as phone notifications, clutter and open applications/browsers that are not necessary to the task in hand. There is a great level of personal discipline required here, to ensure that you stick to the task at hand. Time-blocking and telling yourself to start with just five minutes of work, are good ways to get started.
2. Have Clear Goals: SMART goals are essential to be clear you’re your intentions and helping to enter a Flow state more regularly. For more information on SMART goals check out our article here. This is the stage to address stress and fear of failure, by breaking down tasks into manageable goals that will make your end target achievable.
3. Challenge Yourself… A Little: Having tasks that challenge us are good for our ongoing personal development, so to enter Flow regularly, we need new items that can engage our brains. Of course, going too hard or too far early in the process can be detrimental to our development, so we must gradually increase the complexity of tasks as we build confidence and competence.
Closing Remarks
Once you have learnt how to control and master Flow, your learning journey will be transformed as you benefit from enhanced productivity and creativity. As a result of this, you should witness heightened satisfaction and stress reduction, as we consistently progress towards our goals. Developing your ability to reach Flow will take time, but the results once you get there will be well worth the effort.
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