Being in "a State of Flow" is More than just Fun
It's a proven secret to thriving as you age
As a writer, I frequently get lost in words. The light will shift outside my office window. I’ll look at the clock. Two hours or more will have passed. However, it feels like it’s only been 30 minutes.
This is “flow.”
Flow is a magical state. It’s a place where everything clicks. You feel completely present and alive. You become your best self and life feels effortless. Once you’ve experienced it, you want to experience it more.
I thought it only happened when I was creating – writing, playing the piano, baking, etc. But a couple of years ago I noticed it when I was at the gym. Time stopped. It was just me, the weights, and my muscles.
As I drove home, I felt as mentally refreshed as I was physically taxed. It was a bit of heaven! And I was hooked,
Flow isn't just a nice feeling. It's a scientifically studied phenomenon[i]. And it can transform your time ahead as you age.
Goldilocks Moments
In the 1970s, a Hungarian psychologist named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was studying what made people happy and engaged.
He kept hearing people describe the feeling of "flowing" with an activity they enjoyed. It was as if they were being carried along by a current.
Think of flow as the place where what you're doing is challenging enough to keep you engaged but not so difficult that you feel overwhelmed.
What flow is not:
Flow isn’t mindfulness. When you’re mindful, you’re present with your body and your environment. You observe thoughts, feelings, and surroundings with gentle attention. You are present in the moment with non-judgment. You are aware of the passing of time.
Flow is being present, but in a different way. It is being so completely absorbed in an activity that you don’t notice anything else. You are unaware of time going by.
Flow isn't relaxation. When you're relaxed your mind wanders freely.
Relaxing is wonderful and necessary, but it's not flow. In flow, your attention is laser-focused, but it doesn't feel like work.
Flow isn't stress. You’re fully engaged in an activity. Your brain is active. Unlike, stress, however, flow feels good.
There's no anxiety, no sense of being overwhelmed. Instead, there's a calm confidence, almost like you're dancing with the challenge rather than wrestling it to the ground.
Flow isn't just "being busy." We've all had days where we're constantly doing but feel scattered and drained.
Flow is the opposite—you're deeply absorbed in one thing, and that absorption energizes you.
You can experience flow while engaged in many activities. Things like organizing your photo albums, learning to use a new app on your phone, having a deep conversation with a friend, or mastering a new recipe.
The key is that flow happens when your skills are well-matched to the challenge at hand.
If the activity is too easy, you’ll get bored. If what you’re doing is too hard, however, you’ll feel anxious.
But when it's just right, you’ve found your Goldilocks moment.
Your Brain on Flow
When you slip into flow, you experience "transient hypofrontality." This is when certain parts of your prefrontal cortex temporarily go quiet. In other words, your inner critic shuts up.
This happens because your prefrontal cortex is the area responsible for self-criticism, time awareness, and conscious control.
Your brain doesn't just shut-down the critical voices. It also throws a delightful neurochemical party.
During flow, your brain releases a cocktail of feel-good chemicals that would make any pharmacist envious!
These include dopamine (the feel good hormone); Norepinephrine (regulates your fight or flight response); Anandamide (a memory regulator); and Endorphins (stress reducers & mood regulators).
These chemicals are the reason flow activities feel so satisfying and why you naturally want to return to them.
This is also why time seems to disappear during flow. With your time-tracking prefrontal cortex taking a coffee break, hours can pass in what feels like minutes.
By losing track of time, you actually gain something more valuable - presence.
Being present gives you a sense of satisfaction. And being fully present is becoming increasingly rare in our world of constant distractions and endless multitasking.
Flowing is Your Secret Weapon
Flow isn't just a pleasant experience. It’s actually a powerful tool for thriving in the last chapters of your life.
Research shows that regular flow experiences benefit you physically, emotionally, and socially.
Physical benefits:
Better Sleep Quality: The natural fatigue that comes from deep mental engagement, combined with flow's stress-reducing effects, often leads to more restful sleep. You may fall asleep more easily and sleep more soundly on days when you’ve experienced flow.
Stress Hormone Reduction: Flow activities naturally lower cortisol levels. Regular flow experiences provide a natural, sustainable way to keep stress hormones in check, which leads to better weight-management and an improved immune system.
Natural Pain Management: The endorphins released during flow act as natural painkillers. Flow activities can provide relief from discomfort, without medication.
Emotional advantages:
Increased Life Satisfaction: Regular flow experiences are strongly linked to overall life satisfaction and happiness. When you have activities that consistently bring you joy and engagement, you naturally feel more positive about your life as a whole.
Anxiety and Worry Reduction: The complete absorption of flow states provides natural relief from anxious thinking. When you're fully engaged in an activity, your mind can't simultaneously run worst-case scenarios or replay concerns.
Confidence Building: Flow activities give you a controlled environment that boosts self-esteem. Each time you navigate a challenge or master a new skill, you're proving to yourself that you can learn, grow, and adapt.
Social perks:
Enhanced Empathy and Connection: When you engage in flow activities with others—whether it's a book club discussion, a cooking class, or a hiking group—you often experience shared flow, which creates deep bonds and understanding.
Positive Modeling: When your family sees you engaged in activities you love, you're modeling healthy aging and lifelong learning. This can inspire others and shift family dynamics in positive ways.
New Community Building: Flow activities often connect you with like-minded people who share your interests. Whether it's a pottery class, writing group, or gardening club, these connections can lead to meaningful friendships based on shared passions rather than just proximity or obligation.
Do you Flow?
After I experienced a state of flow lifting weights, I started noticing when I felt it and when I didn’t. I became more conscious of how I spent my energy.
I discovered flow doesn't require large planned-out blocks of time. Even 15-20 minutes of focused engagement lifts my mood.
This helps me when I’m in a state of flow and I’m interrupted. I used to get grouchy. Now I just let it be.
Are there things you consciously do to get flowing?
If not, here are some ideas to help you spend more time feeling good in flow:
Take time at the end of the day and think about when you felt your best.
Write down what you were doing
Ask yourself if it was a flow state?
Think about activities you did to do in the past where you felt fulfilled and energized. (I want to play the piano again.)
Consider a pursuit you’d like to learn. Something like painting, ballet, or kayaking.
Include one or more of these things in your planning this next week.
Keep flowing,
Julie
[i] I’ve synthesized current research which includes the following sources: Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Flow and the Foundations of Positive Psychology. Springer. (extras.springer.com) (2) Alameda, C., Sanabria, D., & Ciria, L. F. (2022). The brain in flow: A systematic review on the neural basis of the flow state. Cortex, 154, 348–364. DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.06.005. (PubMed) (3) Payne, B. R., Jackson, J. J., Noh, S. R., & Stine-Morrow, E. A. L. (2011). In the Zone: Flow State and Cognition in Older Adults. Psychology and Aging, 26(3), 738–743. (PubMed) (4)Volkow, N. D., Wise, R. A., & Baler, R. (2017). “The dopamine motive system …” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 18(12), 741–752.
(PubMed)
I love that flow state. Great breakdown — thanks!