Finding Flow

WELLNESS | by SHERRY STRIPLING

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha

AS A NON-YOGA, non-meditative, grab-and-go type, I’m always looking for shortcuts to bliss. The most productive method for me is finding flow.

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Flow is being so consumed by a task that you time travel. Two hours feels like five minutes. You accomplish something wonderful and yet you feel relaxed.

The first time I felt it I immediately knew my career path. I’d spent the lunch hour readying my high-school newspaper for publication. When I next became aware of time, I’d missed two classes.

With flow, you’re completely in the moment. You focus so deeply on a single task that you strike gold: great satisfaction in the quality of whatever you’ve produced, and also an amazing calm. To practice:

• Devote yourself to one task for at least an hour a day. That’s one task without interruption: No phone, no email, no “Mom, could you…?”
• Pick a Goldilocks task: one that’s challenging but neither too hard nor too easy.
• Make the task something you’re passionate about.
• Up your odds of success by picking a time when you usually feel peak energy and concentration.

Finding flow is an odd sensation of losing yourself but gaining more control. Your spirit, your body and your mind stop tripping over each long enough for you to create something that is totally you and truly fine.