Habits of Happy People # 3: FLOW.....
The third habit of happy people is finding a hobby or work on something that you like and engage in a "flow."
What is "flow"?
Flow is a state of mind when a person is engaged in an activity that they control and become fully immersed in it. The person is very focused on what they are doing and is not aware of time passing by. According to Positive psychologist Professor Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, flow is a state of complete immersion in an activity.
What happens to your brain when you are having a "flow"? When we enter a flow, the front of our brain experiences decreased activity, allowing the rest of our brain to move more, which leads to new ideas emerging. Our neurons communicate and generating ideas faster, making us more productive than usual.
How does flow make us happy?
We are so wrapped up in our flow, and we do not feel time passing by until afterward. So we usually feel satisfied and happier after our flow, but not during our flow. We concentrate on our work during a flow, so our productivity increases, and we feel a sense of achievement afterward.
In one study, adults who spend more time in flow are happier overall. They feel more confident for spending time and having achievements during the flow, and so they feel more cheerful, strong, active, concentrated, creative, and satisfied.
This also applies to us teens; the more flow a teen has, the more likely they are to be concentrated and have higher self-esteem. Overall, teenagers with more flow are more optimistic and spend more time with friends.
Source:
“Flow and Happiness.” Pursuit of Happiness, 13 Feb. 2021, www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/science-of-happiness/getting-in-the-flow/?gclid=CjwKCAjw07qDBhBxEiwA6pPbHqW2RtgFiHzF9g5qw6fDKcDRyibNt1TzKb5dw6g31o14Lov-RCMYkhoCBXAQAvD_BwE.
Kaplan, Elle. “How to Achieve Happiness With Flow, According to Psychology.” Medium, 3 July 2018, medium.com/@ellekaplan/how-to-achieve-happiness-with-flow-according-to-psychology-b90b5b81b554.
Oppland, Mike B. “8 Ways To Create Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.” PositivePsychology.Com, 15 Feb. 2021, positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow.
“How to Achieve Flow.” Verywell Mind, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-flow-2794768. Accessed 9 Apr. 2021.
