What is the state of flow?
Self-efficacy is the feeling a person has of being capable of doing what is necessary to achieve the results they desire. It is closely related to motivation. When we feel capable of performing an action effectively, this can motivate us.
Motivation is a process that gives us energy and directs our behavior towards a goal.
Motivation can be:
Extrinsic, that which motivates us to perform any action that is regulated and depends on external incentives.
Intrinsic motivation allows us to perform activities without any apparent external reward during the action, and depends on the internal and subjective experience of each person because it is done simply for pleasure or the desire to do it.
The perception of being able
Have you ever been so focused on an activity that you lost track of time and weren't thinking about anything else?
This is called the experience or " flow state . " It's a rewarding psychological state that occurs when a person is focused and immersed in an activity, and feels self-efficacious and efficient. It appears when the task absorbs you so much that your thoughts, perceptions, and sensations become irrelevant, and there are no distractions.
During childhood, this usually happens while we play and learn. In adolescence and adulthood, we experience it when we pursue hobbies or leisure activities. Sometimes it can also occur when we study or work on something that fulfills us and that we truly enjoy.
The theory of flow was developed over many years by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. Its basic premise is that pleasurable experiences and sensations are the primary motivation in our lives. Therefore, the flow experience is closely linked to the intrinsic motivation we discussed earlier.
This flow state is characterized by:
Total concentration and complete involvement in carrying out the activity.
A loss of self-awareness (you concentrate so much on the task that you forget about yourself).
A high sense of control over the task you are doing and also over the results you will obtain (it is an activity that is neither too easy nor too difficult for you).
A distorted perception of the passage of time (while you are doing the activity it may seem that time does not exist, but, when you realize it, you may have been doing the task for hours. That is, time passes very quickly)
A positive emotional experience (you feel joy, satisfaction, confidence and a state of activation).
To experience this state of flow, it is very important to:
Having high self-efficacy and self-confidence in completing the task. Knowing that we can accomplish it and being clear about what we have to do. There must be a balance between the difficulty of the activity and our ability to perform it.
The motivation and satisfaction in doing it should be internal, with no external reason. In other words, the only reason should be to complete the task itself.
Finally, it must be said that these moments of flow where there is no stress or pressure can pave the way for creativity.
Differences between the state of mindfulness and the state of flow
A state of mindfulness Mindfulness is the state in which we are fully and individually aware of our own thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and actions in the present moment. In other words, it is being focused on present experiences—physical, emotional, and mental—with acceptance and kindness.
Does mindfulness really work?
In contrast, a state of flow is a state in which we are only aware of a task and the specific actions required to complete it, without being conscious of this awareness, and escaping from all other consciousness about ourselves (thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations), our surroundings, or time. We focus our attention solely on the process of performing the task or activity and the resulting outcome.
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