What Is a Flow State? How This Highly Focused State Can Boost Productivity

We’re all looking for ways to get more done, whether it’s squeezing in an extra Zoom meeting before lunch or writing a research paper 15 minutes faster than you did yesterday. You may have tried a number of productivity hacks—perhaps turning to Feng Shui for your office or trying the Pomodoro Technique—with some good results.

Tethering your worth to your productivity levels can be unhealthy and toxic: Too much productivity without adequate rest, recovery, or leisure time isn’t great for you. But knowing a few tricks to help boost your productivity when you actually need to get stuff done always comes in handy. And in times when high productivity is essential, you’re going to want to know how to get yourself into a state of “flow.”

Here’s how to harness the power of a flow state of mind, a productivity hack that’s about to change the way you work and create.

What Is Flow State?

“Flow state is a mental state of heightened focus and immersion, where we can maintain our focus [on an activity or task] sometimes for hours at a time,” says Jeff Karp, PhD., author of LIT: Life Ignition Tools and distinguished professor, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. “Some refer to [being in flow] as being 'fully in the zone.’” 

As an expert in the phenomenon of flow, Karp explains that flow state is often used within the context of one’s workload, but that it also extends into artistic, sport, or gaming endeavors, too. Even parents and caretakers may find incredible use from tapping into flow. 

“[Psychologist] Mihály Csíkszentmihályi first introduced the concept of ‘flow’ in the 1970s,” says Karp, but it’s just starting to truly hit people’s radars now.

Medical experts have studied the concept of flow, and according to Karp and scientific research, neurotransmitters like dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine are the brain-related drivers behind this focused state of mind. Together, these chemicals light up the reward centers of the brain and help the person focus. 

“I think being in flow is correlated with forging new pathways in our brains,” Karp says.

You may be familiar with “hyperfocus,” which is often a symptom of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It’s during periods of hyperfocus when individuals with ADHD become highly interested and engrossed in a project or task and are able to hone in their attention. While they share some characteristics, hyperfocus and flow aren’t exactly the same thing. 

“I believe hyperfocus is core to the flow state, but being hyperfocused doesn’t guarantee that you are in flow,” Karp explains. “Hyperfocus is like a burst of flow.” In other words, hyperfocus is typically a state that doesn’t persist.

“Flow on the other hand lasts for an extended period—when you're fully engaged—allowing for uninterrupted progress. For people with ADHD, reaching the flow state is often dependent on the presence of high interest or motivation for the activity,” he says. As you strive to reach a flow state, this should be something to keep in mind if you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD.

What Are the Characteristics of Flow?

“Flow is characterized by feeling totally 'plugged in,’” Karp explains. “Distractions are easy to deflect. Flow is also often linked to enhanced learning and performance, which are processes associated with neuroplasticity [the brain’s ability to form new habits and connections]. It feels like you’re sailing through your work under perfect environmental conditions.”

Often, during flow, a person is neither distracted by external, environmental goings on, nor internal sensations and cues—a.k.a interoception. They may not realize that they’re getting hungry, they’re chilly, or that they need to go to the bathroom. They’re totally engrossed in their work and won’t notice it’s time for a snack or bathroom break until the flow state spell is broken. There is a sense of losing oneself in one's work—losing track of time and awareness of what's going on around you due to complete concentration and preoccupation.

“Also, flow doesn’t require someone to be focused on one thing,” Karp adds. “I have been in the flow state many times while bouncing around on things like emails, reviewing manuscripts, and grant applications, and preparing presentations.”

Flow can be experienced while doing something artistic, or while exercising, gaming, studying for an exam, or writing. It enables you to work for an hour or two, or more, at a time without interruption or much effort. Flow state often requires you to be doing something you are good at; something you care about; and something that strikes the right balance of being not so challenging that it's frustrating and not so easy that it's boring.

How Do You Achieve Flow State?

Sailing through your work under perfect conditions and impervious to distractions? Sounds amazing, right? But how do you reach this enviable level of productivity? It comes down to an ideal combination of factors. While they’re not all viewed as positive traits, they can create just the right circumstances.

“I think getting into flow requires the right mix of motivation, environment, interest, and cognitive state,” Karp says. This means that a “pressurized situation,” like a looming deadline or meeting on the horizon, can actually help you get into the flow state.

Counterintuitively, Karp adds that procrastination can be paradoxically helpful at getting you into flow to complete a time-sensitive project. “After avoiding a task for a period of time, the act of finally engaging in it can feel particularly energizing,” Karp says. “For some people, procrastination is the key to flow.”

Yes, that’s right—so-called “negative” productivity traits, like procrastination, can actually help you get into an ideal flow state. The challenge, however, is making sure the stress of procrastinating doesn’t negatively impact these pressurized situations. If you’re a procrastinator who enjoys the feeling of tackling a project at the last minute and racing against the clock, and that’s something that helps you perform even better, putting off tasks until the eleventh hour may be how you get into flow. Maybe you’ve inadvertently been working this way because you know your most focused work comes when you’re tight on time.

What Are the Benefits of Flow?

There are many benefits from being able to achieve and utilize a flow state. As Karp says, flow can help us be efficient in our work while minimizing the toll on our cognitive load or stamina.

“We want to be in flow so that we can get our work done more quickly and leave room for other things we want to engage in,” he says. “It can also help us excel in our work (e.g. the more efficient we become and the better work we do, the greater the chances we can more quickly achieve goals, create value for society, and get promotions and bonuses with our jobs).” 

Additionally, Karp points out that flow can help us minimize downtime in our work while leaving time for a balanced life. If that sounds ideal, flow is something you should try to achieve in your daily life. 

Are There Downsides to Flow?

“One downside is that flow is not [always] associated with purpose or meaning,” Karp says. “So, you can be in a flow state and working on something that isn’t a true priority in our life. But on the flip side, however, when you find that you’re doing something that truly matters to you, that you enjoy, that motivates you, and that aligns with your values, you’ll often find that slipping into flow becomes almost effortless.

“Being in flow state can also make you lose your perception of time,” he adds. That can span from being late for things to feeling as if you’ve missed out on being fully present for even years at a time. If you find that you can easily reach flow state, Karp recommends setting reminders, complete with sounds and/or vibrations, so you can snap out of it when you need to.

And, of course, if the only way you find you can achieve a flow state is to procrastinate, but that procrastination sends you into a stressed-out panic, then this might be the productivity path for you! Not everyone needs to utterly lose themselves in their work or tasks in order to get them done, and that's perfectly OK.