Have you ever been so invested in your creative process that you lost your sense of time? That energized, hyper-focused feeling is called your flow! While everyone has their own creative flow experiences in different ways, anyone can achieve this productive mental state. 

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi was the first to recognize this highly focused mental state conducive to productivity and declared it to be the flow state. It’s basically when you become so absorbed in your creative activities that you pretty much forget about what’s happening in your everyday life. While you can’t force yourself to enter the flow state, you can certainly make it easier to fall into that headspace.

Eliminate Distractions

When you’re trying to dedicate time to the task at hand, it’s important that you remove distractions from the equation before they become an issue. It’s hard to be fully immersed in something when you are being distracted. 

Working from home presents mental distractions like chores that need to be done. Fortunately, you can take care of those things before sitting down to create. This will stop you from worrying about it while working. 

However, if you’re working in the office with others, you might be interrupted by a passing conversation. You can politely let them know beforehand that you won’t be available for a certain amount of time that day. Offer to take care of anything they need from you before getting started.  

Listen to Something

Whether you’re trying to fill the silence while working from home or needing noise-canceling headphones for a busy office, you can listen to something as background noise. Listening to the music you like can help you to concentrate. Podcasts are also a great way to find a boost of motivation while experiencing flow. 

Make Sure You’re Comfortable 

It’s not easy to concentrate on your work when you’re uncomfortable. You can avoid this problem by wearing comfortable clothes and shoes, and choosing a seat that’s best for your posture. Also make sure your environment is comfortable to you, with all of your tools in reach and lights that aren’t too bright or noisy. 

Achieve Flow During Your Creative Process

Finding your creative flow can be a huge help when you’re trying to complete a big project or many smaller tasks. No matter what you’re designing, writing, or editing, learning how to block out distractions and turn on the tunnel vision will help you to achieve your creative goals. 

Join the conversation to learn more about going with the flow!