Get into a Flow

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July 13, 2025

Sunday SAGe Volume 43: Get into a Flow

Here is this week’s installment of Sunday SAGe, an email communication that shares wellness inspiration from The Wellness Ethic to help people thrive during the coming week (and beyond!).

This week, our focus is on just that—being focused!

Get into a Flow

An excerpt from The Wellness Ethic:

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote an influential book about being “in the zone” called “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.” Csikszentmihalyi described flow as “the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” That may explain why people climb dangerous peaks, BASE jump, or engage in other risky activities.

But you don’t need to risk your life to have an optimal experience where you lose your sense of self. I’ve experienced flow while writing this book, playing sports, and working on projects at my job.

As you train yourself to become more mindful, you’ll learn how to block out distractions and fully engage in the moments that make up your day. And sometimes you’ll find yourself in the zone where you lose track of time as you seamlessly immerse in the task at hand. When that happens, your activity will seem natural and effortless, you’ll perform at your peak, and you’ll love every second of it.

What It Means

Several elements go into creating the conditions for a “flow” experience. To simplify flow, I’ll focus on four key ones, which are derived from Csikszentmihalyi’s work:

  • Engage in a rewarding task that has a goal. The task should have a clear objective that intrinsically motivates you. It should also be something you enjoy. Example: playing a competitive sport.

  • Strike the balance between skill and action. The task should be challenging enough that you need to leverage your talents in a focused manner to be successful, but not so hard that the task is impossible. Example: completing a difficult work task.

  • Have an immediate feedback loop. You should know how you’re doing throughout the task and whether you’re trending toward success. Example: taking a timed test.

  • Block out all distractions. Your focus and engagement should be such that the rest of the world recedes to the background. Example: playing a musical instrument.

When you combine those elements, sometimes you’ll experience flow, or maybe not—flow is unpredictable. But the more you practice mindfulness and set the conditions for an optimal experience (especially blocking out distractions), the more you’ll engage with your experiences. That’s a win, whether flow happens or not.

Your Call to Action

Try to create more flow in your life, whether it’s when you exercise, work, cook, do a chore, or perform practically any activity. Set up the conditions for more optimal engagement. Get lost in the task at hand. Get lost in the moment. How does it feel?

Have a focused week!

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Sunday SAGe logo with title: Get into a Flow.
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