FLOW

(PSYCHOLOGY OF OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE)

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 INTRODUCTION

Flow is a state of mind in which a person is so involved in an activity that nothing else seem to matter

Optimal state of intrinsic motivation No account of time, food, ego etc

Ultimate experience leads to ultimate productivity

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 AIM

To acquaint offrs with the concept of flow, its necessity and look for factors
facilitating its achievement

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 SEQUENCE

Concept of flow

Necessity of flow

How to achieve flow

Factors undermining flow

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CONCEPT OF FLOW

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 CONCEPT OF FLOW
Every genius experience flow during his work

Thomas Edison Michael Jordon Muhammad Ali Michael Jackson

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

An altered state of
consciousness

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 CONCEPT OF FLOW

Consciousness is the wholesome response a human brain generates, employing all its cognitive senses

Sensory information Deliberate Response

Feelings Vision

Intentions Decision Making

CONSCIOUSNESS

DISORDER IN CONSCIOUSNESS

Jealousy, self doubt, worry, fear, pain,

anxiety etc
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 CONCEPT OF FLOW

During flow, parts of Prefrontal Cortex shut down

High concentration

Loss of self
FLOW
(Order in Consciousness)
No sense of time

High info processing

Prefrontal Cortex

Flow shortens our path to mastery

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NECESSITY OF FLOW

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 NECESSITY OF FLOW
With Flow Flow is not limited to profession and games only but is
Without Flow
• Optimal experience
necessary to be achieved in almost every activity of life for an • Distractions
• Clear state of mind enjoyable, productive and happy life • Self Doubt
• Ecstasy • Envy
• Optimal Productivity • Anxiety
• happiness • Procrastination
• Boredom

A B

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HOW TO ACHIEVE FLOW

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 HOW TO ACHIEVE FLOW

To alter consciousness is to alter attention

Attention due to
focus
(Psychic energy)
We create ourselves by how
Attention we invest psychic energy Consciousness

Attention due to
biological or social
instructions

Control of consciousness is the ability to focus attention at will, be oblivious to

distractions, concentrate for as long as it takes to achieve a goal and not longer
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 HOW TO ACHIEVE FLOW
FOCUS
No Distractions No Multitasking

Task at
hand

Concentration
• Focus gets better with practice
Focus Exercises • Non addictive minds are good at
focusing
• Healthy diet / routine facilitates
focusing
• Try focusing in tense situations
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 HOW TO ACHIEVE FLOW
FREEDOM
In flow, there is no room for self scrutiny

Flow is like
vs an egoless
thing

Permission Timers

Permission Time Critique

“You have to let it all go. Fear, doubt and disbelief. Free you mind’
From Movie Matrix 14
 HOW TO ACHIEVE FLOW
FEEDBACK
Flow requires a constant flow on information that lets you know if your
actions are getting closer to your goal

No feedback =
Disengagement

Enhance feedback to enhance performance

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 HOW TO ACHIEVE FLOW
CHALLENGE ACCORDING TO THE SKILL
Flow is often achieved when your skill meets the challenge at hand

• Flow is achieved in active involvement

Ec
• Always challenge yourself by 4% more than your skill

sta
Boredom

sy
• With increasing skill, increase challenge

nel • Challenge is not confined to the difficulty of task only but

an
SKILL

C h can be increased by applying constraints as well

l ow
F

Anxiety

CHALLENGE

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FACTORS UNDERMINING FLOW

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 FACTORS UNDERMINING FLOW

• The very moment you are distracted, you are no more in flow
• Look for intrinsic as well as extrinsic distractions
• Flow itself look out for distractions Robin Sharma
DISTRACTIONS

“Human brain is not designed to pay attention in two directions

and so to multitask”
John Medina in his book Brain Rules
MULTITASKING

• Not to be mixed with competition (challenge)

• Comparison leads to jealousy and so to disorder in
consciousness
COMPARISON

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CONCLUSION

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THANK YOU

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