up:: FlowCreation MOC tags::#flow

Solutions to Flow Stoppers §

• Organize these using the four factors

1. Reduce Distractions — This is the number one killer of flow. (Main Element: Attention)
2. Do activities you naturally want to do — Obviously this can get you in trouble if these activities take you away from your responsibilities to your family, finances, friends, and to society as a whole. So with that disclaimer out of the way, if you do the things that easily get you into flow—and ideally create some sort of additional value (extra money, quality time with others)—then it’s likely not a destructive type of flow (like playing online games too much). (Main Element: Enthusiasm (re Flow))
3. Reduce the amount of competing things you want to do — Too many projects, desires, and wants can make them all slip through your fingers, or as said in the Count of Monte Cristo, “evaporate into a thousand follies.” (Main Elements: Attention (re Flow), Direction (re Flow))
   • Narrow your attention — In the moment, take a mental step back and try to narrow your attention on the task at hand. If you’re at a computer screen, this means closing tabs and applications and eliminating things that are robbing your attention.
4. Take a deep breath, take a walk, change your environment — Whether it’s burnout, lowered energy from sitting too much, or just feeling overwhelm; knowing when (and how) to change things up is a crucial skill for many things—including for recentering so you can once again find flow. (Main Element: Energy (re Flow), Attention (re Flow))
5. Tie your present activity to your goals in some way — More often than not, we find ourselves doing something we wish we weren’t doing. Try to find a way to relate the activity to your goals in some way. (Main Elements: Direction (re Flow), Enthusiasm (re Flow))
   • Make a game out of it — So you really don’t see any strong connection between your activity and your goals, so you just can’t seem to summon the enthusiasm for it. So try making a game out of it. How fast can you get the task done with complete focus and zero distractions? If it’s an event with people, maybe try to get into a few higher, quality, deeper conversations; or maybe just make a game out of asking really good questions. (Main Elements: Direction (re Flow), Enthusiasm (re Flow))
6. Sleep well. Eat Well. Hydrate well — If your energy is low because you’ve somehow neglected taking care of yourself, then it will be much harder to induce flow because low energy means decreased mood and increased distractibility. (Main Element: Energy (re Flow))