I really enjoy This American Life. The quirky NPR radio show that each week has a theme and then stories that go along with the theme. I download the podcasts so I can listen while I'm doing things that I don't particularly enjoy doing (like cleaning the bathroom) because I get all caught up in the stories and the time goes quickly. I learned today, from this very program, that it's called being in the flow.
This morning I got up and thought it would be a good idea to run on the treadmill. I was consciously wishing that I loved to exercise. I find myself getting distracted, checking the time at least 4 times each minute, counting down, and feeling a general sense of impatience when I workout. So I listened to an episode of This American Life hoping that I'd be so caught up in it that I'd lose track of time and suddenly be done and feel good about it. It didn't happen that way, but it was ironic that one of the stories was about the subject of Flow.
The narrator of the story was talking about how he likes to make things, like crafts, and that when he's creating he experiences a "blissful absence of the self and a loss of time." He even compared it to what people who love to exercise must feel when they're working out! Achieving flow, which is a term that was coined by a Hungarian psychologist, is all about not being self-concious of what you're doing so that whatever you're doing is just flowing out of you. Pretty much, it's what you feel when you're doing something you really love to do.
The question is, how does one get to the point of achieving flow in an activity when it doesn't come naturally? (Is it possible?) And, the other question is, what's your flow? Comments, please.
5 comments:
well so far I have been going through jill's side bar and it has been a couple of hours...and I hit your blog...that is funny! Since she has told me she enjoys your blog...but that story about the exercise is funny...I am still trying to be there...and feel that...so bloggin right now for sure is...but I think my most favorite is writing letters....
I find when I want to get into "the flow" when exercising, I focus on a particular rhythm of it...my feet pounding on the ground, the beat of my heart in my ears, the strength of my muscle lifting, or whatever. It's kind of a focus, almost like meditating, and then for whatever reason I can let that go and think about other things like the music I'm listening to, or just let my thoughts wander over the scenery. I know it's hard to find a way to want to exercise everyday, but keep it up! It's wonderful that you find time to invest in yourself, and your health. One never knows when they will need the reserve that fitness provides. So good job!
I adore This American Life and download the podcasts each week too. I'm a few behind though (which is good because I don't want to run out) so I haven't heard this one yet.
I'm wondering if flow is a possibility with something you don't enjoy doing. I definitely have flow when I work on good mail, blogging, cleaning, taking pictures etc., but other things like exercise are just hard. I think I come closer to flow with exercise when I'm outside walking and listening to This American Life because I definitely get caught up in the listening and do the walking without conscious thought. Maybe the treadmill is the problem.
I too love This American Life, NPR in general really.
I seem to be a yellow personality which is motivated by fun, so when I am enjoying myself I always feel flow. I can do ANYTHING (even things I don't enjoy) if I have a good book to listen to, a friend around, or music that I love. I can clean for hours and hours, or work out forever if I have
entertainment. I never feel flow when doing things out of duty, or for a sense of accomplishment. I do things I don't want to but I don't get that rush or flow without the entertainment factor.
I listened to this one the other day and thought it was very cool. I used to wonder if working at Barnes & Noble would ruin my love of going there and I decided that it definitely would.
I also loved the other part of that guy's piece where he asked his friends about the gifts he had given them, that was cool.
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