Aug 22nd, 2024 Thursday Sunny
Have you ever experienced the state of flow?
“Flow” is a state of mind characterized by being entirely engrossed in the activity you are engaging at the moment, to the extent that you do not notice the lapse of time at all. It is NOT relaxation or meditation. During relaxation, you let your mind wander because whatever you are doing does not require much attention from you, whereas flow demands your full attention. During meditation, your mind is focused on the present – your breathing, subtle changes in the environment, etc. – with nothing to spare for external tasks, but flow channels your mind towards the task at hand.
Unlike relaxation or meditation, flow is likely to make you feel exhausted afterwards, yet it is predictive of happiness. Why? Because the exhaustion also comes with a very strong sense of accomplishment. Flow occurs when we work on a task that is just a little bit more challenging than our current ability, so that we can see our effort has a real impact. It feels wonderful because you know that you NEED to put everything in, and you will get rewarded for it. Once you give it one hundred percent and succeed, you feel that you REALLY did something.
Honestly, probably everyone has had a taste of flow. For those fond of school, they may have had flow after staying in the library for two hours solving a complicated math problem and eventually beating it. For others, the flow might be hours of playing a video game that pulls all their energy and concentration. In any case, flow is supposed to be mentally stimulating.
It sounds like a magical state to be in, doesn’t it?
The formula for finding flow is actually quite simple – any activity that is only ONE step higher than your competence at this moment would do. Things you already feel comfortable with will not do because you do not need to try hard, and things that are too difficult will only leave you frustrated. One step is that sweet spot.
I recently picked up the hobby of knitting, a way of using my hands more and getting me away from the screen.
No, unlike many people who followed their mothers/grandmothers since childhood, I am NOT a good knitter (my mom, an avid knitter herself, deemed knitting an unnecessary skill that I could skip), and I begrudgingly learned to knit after my wedding, when our best man expressed the wish for some hand-knitted dishcloths. Unwilling to disappoint him, I watched some videos and took up the needles. Even though I managed to finish a few dishcloths, I still felt nervous for the fear of making any mistake (I had no idea how to fix them), and knitting patterns read like runes for me.
Now, with enough practice, I am more at ease when it comes to basic stitches, and I start to understand knitting charts. Since I am by no means an expert, I cannot look at the description and immediately visualize what it should look like upon completion, my curiosity is at play as I count each stitch. I keep wanting to do one more row, so I can see the whole design. Without realizing it, I am in a state of flow.
Of course, to continue the pleasure of flow, I must constantly look for novel projects so the result remains a mystery to me. Luckily, the library supply of knitting books is more than what I would ever hope for in my lifetime 😛