Flow

Bit of background on the concept of flow...

Here are the key components of flow by Martin Seligman:

• The task is challenging and requires skill


• We concentrate


• There are clear goals


• We get immediate feedback


• We have deep, effortless involvement


• There is a sense of control


• Our sense of self vanishes


• Time stops

Flow is the difference between a philosophical conversation or gossipping about celebrities; between background Muzak or picking apart the different elements and melodies produced by a jazz ensemble, or creating the music yourself. Flow is cooking a full meal rather than ordering take-out. Flow is utterly absorbing, yet contains no inherent emotion in itself.

Flow was proposed first by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ("cheeks sent me high"). It is the state entered into where no emotion exists, yet our mental (and sometimes physical) faculties are absorbed into an immense concentration. It delivers measurable results, and involves risk of failure. Engaging in flow frequently has been shown to improve long term happiness.

For me, writing this post is an example of flow.

Here's a thought (well, new for me)... considering the above, it strikes me that there must be levels of flow. That it is possible to engage in pursuits that have meaningful results without COMPLETE concentration or loss of the sense of self. I'm sure for instance, that a cabaret singer is at once involved in flow, yet utterly in sync with her own reactions to the audience, and their reactions back towards her.

Listening intently to music versus creating music itself.... surely the latter involves a far greater depth of flow (and therefore greater mental rewards). It would follow that the more intense or difficult the activity, the greater the concentration, and the greater the reward.

Someone old (I know, I never said this blog was about total accuracy!) once was asked how she lived to such a great age and kept her mind agile, to which she replied - "Every day I pray to God to send me something difficult to do, and every day he provides".

As part of my self experiment, I'm going to try and choose flow whenever the option presents itself. Then I'll describe how the activity influenced my mind, my body, and my mood. My aim will be to measure both the short and longer term benefits (over say, months rather than hours) of the activities, and further define the 'best' sort of flow for me.

Another article from the American Psychological Association here

Introduction to Positive Psychology

This blog used to be about my perceptions of New York, but I've decided to wander off in a different direction...

About two years ago I became interested positive psychology, which sounds like a flash name for wishful-thinking! Luckily (ha ha) it is actually grounded in science, not astronomy!

Positive psychology is easiest to define by what it is not.: a focus on the traditional pathology, victimology and mental illness - the usual subjects of traditional psychology.

Positive psychology concentrates on positive emotion and mental health. (This definition from the back cover of Authentic Happiness by the Guru of positive psychology, Martin P Seligman). It proposes that happiness can be cultivated, mindfully. It uses data from studies done in countries all over the world, over time and more recently, which analyze the things, the ways of living, that result in greater life satisfaction. It's about being deeply in touch with our pure, Good, inherent nature.

I'm taking the tools presented and applying them to my own life; a very wayward, unauthorized and mostly unaudited study in determining whether applying positive psychology ideas will result in greater life satisfaction.

I'm not sure how interesting it's going to be yet. Even so, whatever I learn will hopefully be useful for other people too (even if it's only to dissuade from attempting silly things!).

I haven't decided how to write it yet either. I haven't figured out how to fix the fonts and the spacing on this blog yet! It won't be in third person (although a friend of mine's husband has started referring to himself as "The Michael". It's tempting to start calling myself "The Catherine". "The Cat" sounds too much like a pre-schooler's book.)

There is much more to it, but that'll do for starters. Let's see where this goes...happy days :)