Breathe - Last part...

Find flow by seeking struggle, and then release. 

Picture this: You’re engaged in an activity, whether that’s writing computer code or painting a landscape, and you get so absorbed you completely lose track of time. Does this sound familiar? If you’re nodding yes, then you’ve likely experienced what psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi calls a flow state.

Flow, says Csíkszentmihályi, is the optimal creative state. We experience flow when a task stretches our abilities but not so much that our skills can’t meet the challenge of said task. This delicate balance between ability and challenge produces a state of total absorption. In this state, we lose sense of time and stop paying attention to our inner critic. All of a sudden, our task feels effortless. New, intuitive connections and solutions present themselves to us, as if by magic.

It’s not surprising, then, that Csíkszentmihályi believed many individuals produced their best work when they were within a flow state.

Another psychologist Abraham Maslow sees even more potential in flow. Flow, he believes, doesn’t just produce exceptional creative work. Flow can generate peak human experiences, which are exhilarating and elevating, regardless of whether you’re rock-climbing or baking. These peak experiences can be accessed by anyone.

Right, so it’s great to flow. But how exactly does it work? Well, every flow cycle starts with struggle, when you feel challenged and perhaps even stressed. Although your instinct at this stage might be to give up, it’s important that you push on. That’s because struggle leads to release, where you let go and trust in yourself. It’s that specific combination of struggle followed by release that creates flow.

By cultivating conditions that are favorable to achieving the first two stages of the flow cycle, you can actually manifest flow for yourself. Here’s how to do it:

Begin by finding your struggle. This requires persistence. Don’t give up on challenging tasks. Instead, reframe them as opportunities to create struggle. When you see challenging tasks as an entry point for your flow state, you’ll embrace them with enthusiasm.

Then, work towards release. Where struggle requires effort, release requires patience and stillness. If you’re having trouble surrendering to your task, try deep breathing or mindful thinking. Both strategies will calm you, creating an optimal mental environment for release.

Finally, remember that flow should be an autotelic, or self-contained experience. The point of finding flow is simply to find flow, not to produce a specific result. Letting go of preconceived notions of what you should achieve will make it easier to release from your struggle and get in the zone.

Breaking bad habits isn’t as hard as you might think.

Ever wondered why Steve Jobs always wore the same black turtleneck? The short answer is, habit. The longer answer is, Jobs did this out of an intentional action, because he knew that when we do things habitually, we do them without thinking about them. Because Jobs chose his clothes from habit, he could conserve his precious mental energy for things like coming up with the iPhone.

We make habitual decisions every day. In fact, researchers at Duke University estimate that 40% of our decisions are habit-based. 40% of what we do each day is done on autopilot.

That’s great news for all the good habits you’ve established. Whether it’s no screens before bed or a daily morning yoga practice, having good habits means you’re doing great and healthy things for yourself, automatically! 

The prognosis is less positive for bad habits. Say you’re in the habit of checking your phone before you get out of bed in the morning. Though you know it’s not the best way to start the day, you can’t stop doing it. That’s because you do it without thinking – our habits are ingrained. This is also why the bad ones are so hard to kick. 

Luckily, it’s possible to get rid of bad habits and establish better ones. You simply need to understand something called the habit loop. 

The loop consists of a cue that triggers your brain into acting out the habit. This is followed by the routine or the habit itself. The loop finishes with a reward – the satisfaction that your routine brings you.

To break a bad habit, dismantle your habit loop. You could start with the cue. What prompts you to pick up your phone and start scrolling? Maybe it’s boredom. How else could you address that? Try keeping a book close to hand, instead, and read a few pages before getting up. 

You can also work backwards, by identifying the reward. Let’s say you eat a chocolate bar in the work break-room every afternoon. Is the positive reward the chocolate itself? Or is it the chance to take a break and socialize with colleagues? If it’s the second, think about different, better routines that might produce the same reward: walking around the office, stopping to chat with coworkers, perhaps.

Look critically at your habits and recalibrate the bad ones by replacing them with healthier ones. Soon, you’ll be taking care of your body and your mind, without even stopping to think about it.

Final summary

The key message in these articles:

Life can often feel overwhelming and complicated. But the strategies you need to manage life’s stressors don’t have to be either of those things. When you’re feeling under pressure, going back to basics will help you find focus, clarity, and fulfilment. Bringing your awareness to something as simple as breathing is enough to create lasting and positive change.

Actionable advice:

Strike a (power) pose!

The way you position yourself physically affects how others see you, as well as your own mood. Adjusting your stance can instantly boost confidence. The next time you need a quick self-esteem fix, try standing with your feet a little wider than your hips. Put your hands on your hips and take a few deep breaths into your belly. You’ll soon feel ready to take on the world!