Lesson3_PositiveThinkingCorner-IntrotoGeneralPsychologySection1CGFall2023CO.pdf
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LESSON 3: BIOPSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE
Feeling the Flow
Flow and Happiness How to Achieve… Reflection Writing…
Flow and Happiness
For an informative introduction to Flow, a key concept in happiness research, click on the video
link below to hear happiness and creativity expert Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihaly discuss his view
of the process of human happiness.
î¤?Listenî¤?î¤?î±
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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happinessMihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness
How to Achieve Flow and Happiness in Your Work
Characteristics
Csikszentmihalyi describes 8 characteristics of flow:
From: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/
Complete concentration on the task1.
Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback2.
Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down of time)3.
The experience is intrinsically rewarding, has an end itself4.
Effortlessness and ease5.
There is a balance between challenge and skills6.
Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious
rumination
7.
There is a feeling of control over the task8.
https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/
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Strategies
So how do you achieve this mystical state of being? Do you need to meditate or chant
anything? No, you don??t (although meditation can improve your ability to concentrate). And
Flow is anything but mystical ?? it??s very practical, and achieving it isn??t mysterious.
It can take practice, but you??ll get better at it. Here are the key steps to achieving and benefiting
from Flow:
Choose work you love. If you dread a task, you??ll have a hard time losing yourself in it.
If your job is made up of stuff you hate, you might want to consider finding another
job. Or consider seeking projects you love to do within your current job. At any rate,
be sure that whatever task you choose is something you can be passionate about.
1.
Choose an important task. There??s work you love that??s easy and unimportant, and
then there??s work you love that will make a long-term impact on your career and life.
Choose the latter, as it will be a much better use of your time, and of Flow.
2.
Make sure it??s challenging, but not too hard. If a task is too easy, you will be able to
complete it without much thought or effort. A task should be challenging enough to
require your full concentration. However, if it is too hard, you will find it difficult to
lose yourself in it, as you will spend most of your concentration just trying to figure
3.
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out how to do it ?? either that, or you??ll end up discouraged. It may take some trial and
error to find tasks of the appropriate level of difficulty.
Find your quiet, peak time. This is actually two steps grouped into one. First, you??ll
want to find a time that??s quiet, or you??ll never be able to focus. For me, that??s
mornings, before the hustle of everyday life builds to a dull roar. That might be early
morning, when you just wake, or early in the work day, when most people haven??t
arrived yet or are still getting their coffee and settling down. Or you might try the
lunch hour, when people are usually out of the office. Evenings work well too for many
people. Or, if you??re lucky, you can do it at any time of the day if you can find a quiet
spot to work in. Whatever time you choose, it should also be a peak energy time for
you. Some people get tired after lunch ?? that??s not a good time to go for Flow. Find a
time when you have lots of energy and can concentrate.
4.
Clear away distractions. Aside from finding a quiet time and place to work, you??ll
want to clear away all other distractions. That means turning off distracting music
(unless you find music that helps you focus), turning off phones, email and IM
notifications, Twitter and Growl, and anything else that might pop up or make noise to
interrupt your thoughts. I also find it helpful to clear my desk, even if that means
sweeping miscellaneous papers into a folder to be sorted through later. Of course,
these days there isn??t anything on my desk, but I didn??t always work like this. A clear
desk helps immensely.
5.
Learn to focus on that task for as long as possible. This takes practice. You need to
start on your chosen task and keep your focus on it for as long as you can. At first,
many people will have difficulty, if they??re used to constantly switching between tasks.
But keep trying, and keep bringing your focus back to your task. You??ll get better. And
if you can keep your focus on that task, with no distractions, and if your task has been
chosen well (something you love, something important, and something challenging),
you should lose yourself in Flow.
6.
Enjoy yourself. Losing yourself in Flow is an amazing thing, in my experience. It feels
great to be able to really pour yourself into something worthwhile, to make great
progress on a project or important task, to do something you??re passionate about.
Take the time to appreciate this feeling (perhaps after the fact ?? it??s hard to
appreciate it while you??re in Flow).
7.
Keep practicing. Again, this takes practice. Each step will take some practice, from
finding a quiet, peak time for yourself, to clearing distractions, to choosing the right
task. And especially keeping your focus on a task for a long time. But each time you
fail, try to learn from it. Each time you succeed, you should also learn from it ?? what
did you do right? And the more you practice, the better you??ll get.
8.
Reap the rewards. Aside from the pleasure of getting into Flow, you??ll also be happier
with your work overall. You??ll get important stuff done. You??ll complete stuff more
9.
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From: https://zenhabits.net/guide-to-achieving-flow-and-happiness-in-your-work/
often, rather than starting and stopping frequently. All of this is hugely satisfying and
rewarding. Take the time to appreciate this, and to continue to practice it every day.
Reflection Writing Assignment
After reading the information above, scroll over the two circles below, read them and pick one
to write your Reflection Writing Assignment for Lesson 3.
When Do You Feel
Flow?
Flow Strategies
Untitleddocument9.docx
Instructions
Choose one of the following for your Flow Reflection topic (see the
Lesson 3 Positive Thinking Corner
for more information):
1). When do you feel or have you felt flow? Write a paragraph or two (150-200 words) about a time when you were completely engaged in an activity, to the point that time fell away. While this isn’t formal writing, be sure to review your work for grammar, spelling, and full sentences before you upload it to the assignment folder.
2). Flow Strategies: Which of the strategies to achieve flow would you like to pursue? Which do you think would be challenging and why? Write a paragraph or two (150-200 words) about the strategy that most interests you and the strategy that seems most difficult. While this isn’t formal writing, be sure to review your work for grammar, spelling, and full sentences before you upload it to the assignment folder.
Lesson3_PositiveThinkingCorner-IntrotoGeneralPsychologySection1CGFall2023CO.pdf
10/3/23, 6:08 PM Master Template
https://go.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/2807454/viewContent/56455944/View 1/5
LESSON 3: BIOPSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE
Feeling the Flow
Flow and Happiness How to Achieve… Reflection Writing…
Flow and Happiness
For an informative introduction to Flow, a key concept in happiness research, click on the video
link below to hear happiness and creativity expert Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihaly discuss his view
of the process of human happiness.
î¤?Listenî¤?î¤?î±
10/3/23, 6:08 PM Master Template
https://go.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/2807454/viewContent/56455944/View 2/5
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happinessMihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness
How to Achieve Flow and Happiness in Your Work
Characteristics
Csikszentmihalyi describes 8 characteristics of flow:
From: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/
Complete concentration on the task1.
Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback2.
Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down of time)3.
The experience is intrinsically rewarding, has an end itself4.
Effortlessness and ease5.
There is a balance between challenge and skills6.
Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious
rumination
7.
There is a feeling of control over the task8.
https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/
10/3/23, 6:08 PM Master Template
https://go.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/2807454/viewContent/56455944/View 3/5
Click to download
Strategies
So how do you achieve this mystical state of being? Do you need to meditate or chant
anything? No, you don??t (although meditation can improve your ability to concentrate). And
Flow is anything but mystical ?? it??s very practical, and achieving it isn??t mysterious.
It can take practice, but you??ll get better at it. Here are the key steps to achieving and benefiting
from Flow:
Choose work you love. If you dread a task, you??ll have a hard time losing yourself in it.
If your job is made up of stuff you hate, you might want to consider finding another
job. Or consider seeking projects you love to do within your current job. At any rate,
be sure that whatever task you choose is something you can be passionate about.
1.
Choose an important task. There??s work you love that??s easy and unimportant, and
then there??s work you love that will make a long-term impact on your career and life.
Choose the latter, as it will be a much better use of your time, and of Flow.
2.
Make sure it??s challenging, but not too hard. If a task is too easy, you will be able to
complete it without much thought or effort. A task should be challenging enough to
require your full concentration. However, if it is too hard, you will find it difficult to
lose yourself in it, as you will spend most of your concentration just trying to figure
3.
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out how to do it ?? either that, or you??ll end up discouraged. It may take some trial and
error to find tasks of the appropriate level of difficulty.
Find your quiet, peak time. This is actually two steps grouped into one. First, you??ll
want to find a time that??s quiet, or you??ll never be able to focus. For me, that??s
mornings, before the hustle of everyday life builds to a dull roar. That might be early
morning, when you just wake, or early in the work day, when most people haven??t
arrived yet or are still getting their coffee and settling down. Or you might try the
lunch hour, when people are usually out of the office. Evenings work well too for many
people. Or, if you??re lucky, you can do it at any time of the day if you can find a quiet
spot to work in. Whatever time you choose, it should also be a peak energy time for
you. Some people get tired after lunch ?? that??s not a good time to go for Flow. Find a
time when you have lots of energy and can concentrate.
4.
Clear away distractions. Aside from finding a quiet time and place to work, you??ll
want to clear away all other distractions. That means turning off distracting music
(unless you find music that helps you focus), turning off phones, email and IM
notifications, Twitter and Growl, and anything else that might pop up or make noise to
interrupt your thoughts. I also find it helpful to clear my desk, even if that means
sweeping miscellaneous papers into a folder to be sorted through later. Of course,
these days there isn??t anything on my desk, but I didn??t always work like this. A clear
desk helps immensely.
5.
Learn to focus on that task for as long as possible. This takes practice. You need to
start on your chosen task and keep your focus on it for as long as you can. At first,
many people will have difficulty, if they??re used to constantly switching between tasks.
But keep trying, and keep bringing your focus back to your task. You??ll get better. And
if you can keep your focus on that task, with no distractions, and if your task has been
chosen well (something you love, something important, and something challenging),
you should lose yourself in Flow.
6.
Enjoy yourself. Losing yourself in Flow is an amazing thing, in my experience. It feels
great to be able to really pour yourself into something worthwhile, to make great
progress on a project or important task, to do something you??re passionate about.
Take the time to appreciate this feeling (perhaps after the fact ?? it??s hard to
appreciate it while you??re in Flow).
7.
Keep practicing. Again, this takes practice. Each step will take some practice, from
finding a quiet, peak time for yourself, to clearing distractions, to choosing the right
task. And especially keeping your focus on a task for a long time. But each time you
fail, try to learn from it. Each time you succeed, you should also learn from it ?? what
did you do right? And the more you practice, the better you??ll get.
8.
Reap the rewards. Aside from the pleasure of getting into Flow, you??ll also be happier
with your work overall. You??ll get important stuff done. You??ll complete stuff more
9.
10/3/23, 6:08 PM Master Template
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From: https://zenhabits.net/guide-to-achieving-flow-and-happiness-in-your-work/
often, rather than starting and stopping frequently. All of this is hugely satisfying and
rewarding. Take the time to appreciate this, and to continue to practice it every day.
Reflection Writing Assignment
After reading the information above, scroll over the two circles below, read them and pick one
to write your Reflection Writing Assignment for Lesson 3.
When Do You Feel
Flow?
Flow Strategies
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