Flow

Let’s talk about flow.  And I don’t mean the lady in the progressive commercials.  In undergrad, we discussed the concept of flow with regard to sports.  This makes sense – think of any level of sporting event.  Most of the time, I like to think that you can find at least one player who is in a flow state.  By this I mean, they are oblivious to the outside world or anything else going on around them because their brain and body are so invested in the task at hand.  In high school sports, I had a difficult time finding this flow – I even got scolded by my volleyball coach during a game because she claimed I kept looking in the stands (she thought I was looking at boys, but I wasn’t).

Fast forward to undergrad and grad school where I was able to find my flow when I was working on certain projects.  For me, being in this state looked like loosing track of time, forgetting to eat, and having tunnel vision towards what I am working on.  This might look slightly different for others, but the general concept is the same.

So now let me backtrack and give some context to what is going on in my world right now.  I just spend over two hours editing an image on photoshop.  It was tedious and could be argued as unnecessary (although I think it was necessary because it led to the cool picture of me with resistance bands on my home page).  But man, did I get into a flow with that project.  Eyes on the computer and forgetting that I was craving carbs because I just worked out and it was cold/gloomy outside (the perfect equation for a bowl of oatmeal with a big scoop of peanut butter).

I’m going to be bold enough to claim that having that feeling is when you know you are working towards something you are passionate about.  This doesn’t have to be in your professional life either – it can be related to leisurely hobbies like crafting or cooking (cleaning if you really want a gold star).  Either way, it’s hard to find a flow in something that doesn’t appeal to you and your interests or desires at least somewhat.

If you have made it this far and are thinking “meerrrrppp… I can’t think of anything that gives me that feeling!” – don’t feel shame or guilt!  I think you should feel just the opposite: excitement that you can use that as motivation to find a new hobby or activity (or rediscover a previously forgotten one).  Once you find that, I give you permission to shout from the rooftops how amazing I am, telling all your neighbors and cousins about how I’ve changed your life.  Okay – daydream over and back to the reality that my fiancé, Eric (I thought it was time to give him a shout out by name), is the only one reading this.

But seriously, find something that you can get lost in for whatever amount of time your schedule permits and smile knowing that you took that time to do something for you!  Not sure where to start your search on a flow-worthy activity?!  Try exercise!*

*This message brought to you by the resources on my site that you can utilize to start/continue your fitness journey 😉

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