More about Happiness…

 

We define mindfulness as the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present .

Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi studied this state of being and coined the term Flow.

His research suggested that money and luxury doesn’t bring people happiness.

He found that humans are at their happiest when in flow.

Now, what is this flow? 

Being completely absorbed in an activity for its own sake, giving your heightened attention to just one thing.

This is an example of a diagram that Mihaly illustrated in one of his books :

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.

What this shows is that based on the intensity of challenges and skills, If what we do has a high level of challenge and we use our skills at the maximum level, then we enter the state of flow. This is a state of deep happiness, where one  exhibits their creativity, potential and be accomplished, in control with an intrinsic motivation.

Achieving the flow involves certain factors.

Choosing a task. A single task that can be done in solitude. There are endless examples like playing the piano, running, writing, dancing, singing, etc. 

Allowing enough time. Setting aside a lot of time so that the mind can be fully immersed in that one task. 

Setting clear goals. What you are doing and why you are doing it? 

Near balance of a challenge-to-skills ratio. Flows exist near the midline of boredom and anxiety. If the task is dull, you disengage. If it is too hard, fear spikes and we look for a way out. The challenge needs to be slightly greater than our skill so that we stay in the sweet spot.

The flow is important to not get distracted by little things and being able to focus on one task to complete it. It’s a great way to bring peace in our daily lives and living every moment to the fullest with lasting satisfaction.

“To be able to concentrate for a considerable time is essential to difficult achievement.” – Bertrand Russell

–Saania Saxena 🙂