Looking for the key to unlocking high performance and satisfaction at work? The answer could be in achieving a ‘Flow State’.

Have you ever undertaken an activity and become so engrossed in it that time has felt like it has passed very quickly. Have you become completely immersed in your work and have felt at ease and productive? This is what is known as a Flow State or being in the zone.

Flow is an important element of peak performance. Flow Theory was introduced in the 1970s by Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who described it as “the holistic sensation that people feel when they act with total involvement”.

In the workplace, there are huge benefits from achieving a state of Flow, both on an individual and organisational level. A state of Flow allows for:

Improved Performance – productivity, creativity and problem-solving.

Greater Engagement – intrinsic (internal) motivation, higher energy, positive culture.

Promotion of Wellbeing and Protection of Mental Health – manages stress and reduces burnout through control and enjoyment, building resilient individuals.

Achieving Flow is imperative in work and life because work is a part of our lives. On average we roughly spend about 33% of our lives for around 40 years at work, therefore it’s important to foster Flow for health, happiness and satisfaction.

Flow does not just happen to people – it is a state that we can create for ourselves. Things that will help are:

• Matching Skills to Challenges – make sure your level of skill matches the challenge in question but also allows for you to stretch your skills a little too. The sweet spot is making the challenge around 4% higher than your skill level.

• Clear Goals and Feedback – set clear goals and be open to feedback to help with development of skills.

• Focus your Attention – minimise distractions (digitally and physically) and interruptions.

• Be in Control – a sense of ownerships increases confidence.

Two simple tips to enhance the probability of Flow in your work and life are as follows:

• Where you feel the challenge exceeds your skill level – look to build your skills.
• Where you feel your skills exceed the level of challenge – look for bigger challenges.

This may seem too easy an approach, but what it does is encourage an upwards spiral of growth and positive emotions, allowing you to become happier, healthier, more productive and satisfied in your work.