Do you know that feeling when you are completely focused on something? You are so busy that you lose all sense of time. You don't even notice the noises around you? Then you are in the flow. Read more about flow, mindfulness, and attention in this post.
In the rush of activity
When you are completely absorbed in your movement, your actions, and your thoughts, and do not perceive external disturbing factors, forget about time and hunger, and perform a certain activity with self-forgetfulness, then you are in the rush of activity. This experience occurs when you have been successful in a situation where there was a balanced equilibrium between the difficulty of a task and your own physical and mental abilities to master that task.
"Flow" and "peak experience"
You do something that presents a real challenge, and it works smoothly – it "flows." In psychology, there are several terms for this: "Flow" by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi or the "peak experience" by Abraham Maslow.
It is the exhilaration in your professional or private life that is understood as a kind of experience of happiness. This feeling is attributed to artists, musicians, and athletes. In the flow experience, it is not what you do that is decisive, but how you do it. If you surrender yourself completely to the activity and become absorbed in it, a feeling of happiness arises. However, this also requires us to concentrate completely on the activity and banish multitasking from our everyday lives.
More flow in everyday life through mindfulness
What happens when this fulfilling activity is over? The painting finished, the athletic feat achieved, the work goal met, the varied bike tour ended, the birthday cake eaten? What remains is the feeling of happiness, the memory of it, which eventually fades because everyday life with its sense of duty, planning, and tight schedules overwhelms us. There is no possibility to live the day consciously.
Giving attention to the moment
This is where the word mindfulness comes into play. The conscious experience of everyday life, perceiving the here and now, taking it in, and observing it. Do you still remember in the evening how your breakfast tea or coffee tasted? Did you experience the moment consciously? Or did you just "throw" your muesli into yourself? One thing is certain: what would you rather remember? The raspberry you choked down in your muesli or the enjoyment of the sweet, red fruit as it slowly breaks apart in your mouth and your brain tells you how good that tastes.
Being mindful means living life in a more relaxed and easy-going way and opening yourself up to the beautiful things in life. This delights the body and mind, makes you happy, and increases overall satisfaction. Above all, it is intended to reduce everyday stress, promote inner balance, and increase overall stress resistance.
