How to Get into Flow Quickly

We have all had the experience of driving somewhere and realising that have been daydreaming and not paying attention to the road.  We are startled by the awareness that we have little or no memory of driving the last few minutes.  This may seem frightening in an age where being distracted constantly is the norm, however, if you were actually driving and not doing something else like using your phone or even speaking to a passenger in the vehicle, then you were not daydreaming at all.  You were in flow!

A flow state is when you are concentrating on a task and are fully absorbed in the process.  You are energized by what you are doing and your sense of time is even distorted and does not seem as long as usual.

A flow state is usually achieved doing something we like to do and we therefore get lost in concentrating on the task.  It often happens in physical activities like dancing where muscle memory takes over and we enjoy what we are doing for its own merits.

Now it may seem highly unlikely that driving would put us in a state of flow, but very often routine, repetitive activities do just that.  You are actually completely aware when you are driving but you don’t remember much of it because nothing happened.  If something did happen, you would be ready to deal with it.

A flow state is usually associated with more complex things, however, like dancing, writing, reading or physical work which is repetitive.  Auto workers on an assembly line doing the same process for many vehicles in a row will get into flow from the repetitive physical nature of the task.

Your environment also helps with getting into a flow state.  Machiavelli would famously go into his study every evening, dress up in fine clothing and have Mastermind sessions with the great thinkers of history.  When he entered the room, his mind associated the atmosphere with deep thinking and writing and he would get into a flow state where ideas would freely come to him as if he was speaking to great philosophers and thinkers.

Many artists do the same, creating an environment where they are completely immersed in their craft.  They put on the same clothing, use the same tools that other great artists use, like special brushes and paints that will even create the right smell.  They also surround themselves with their completed works of art and those of other artists they admire.

So, to get into flow quickly, create the right environment for what you want to do, whether it is something creative or physical.  Also include the right clothing if possible.  Then concentrate on the activity and focus on it while blocking out other distractions.  Within a short amount of time, you should be in a flow state where ideas, movement or creativity start to come to you effortlessly.