I think this highlights the trouble a lot of us had with school, lack of eustress. Not motivated by arbitrary task requirements and coursework wasnt challenging in the right ways.
@@randxalthorschool curriculums are decades behind what would be useful in the real world. the ever-present feeling of "when am I going to use this in real life" makes it really hard to engage. now some of this is because kids would rather do something that's immediately fun and we have way more stuff like that now, and they can't see how they'll need to know the difference between exponential and logarithmic or what have you. personally I think when kids ask that question, teachers should have an impossibly hard test ready with scenarios from jobs that adults do, let them panic a little, and then explain how you won't need to know whatever you're learning today, you need to know this stuff because you can't understand the stuff you WILL need without a bunch of prerequisites.
"forcibly recall information for a fraction showing how much you know as a reward"... Couldn't we like.. keep the gold star system? Or have a school currency to buy temporary rewards for the day? (Fav teacher did that, you could sit on a yoga ball for the day! Among other rewards, but, I firmly believe all school chairs should be yoga balls). Heck shiny stickers even for doing well, just please do something to hit the reward center instead of boring red ink on white paper😢
Nothing gets me into flow state like VR rhythm games. It gets to where I am not thinking about what I’m doing at all yet I smash very fast and complex tracks. It’s not productive in and of itself, but as a 50yo woman with ADHD it’s very useful to escape and reset.
Ha, nice to see someone else who experiences this. I recommend Audica if you haven't heard of it yet, sadly it's super unknown, but personally I spend the most time playing that one. The learning curve is a bit steep at first, and the game only really gets fun when you reach expert, but once you do... it's great. :D What are your favorites?
I became obsessed with flow states about 2 years ago. It was completely brought on by the fact I had bought a quest 2 and started playing beatsaber. I was getting pretty good at it and it got to the point where I was doing many expert+ songs on faster speeds. The feeling of pure blissful focus I felt while doing the songs was something I had barely ever felt in my life. I started devouring books and resources around what this was and how I could utilise it in other aspects of my life. I highly recommend the book "the art of impossible". The message can seem a little grindset at times but it goes into the Nitty gritty on what the highest performers all do, what flow state is and how they achieve it. It's a fascinating topic.
00:00 🧠 Flow state is a mental state characterized by intense focus on a task, but it's not something you can actively "do." It's a state of mind that happens to you. 02:32 🔄 To enter a flow state, you need a moderate level of "eustress," which is positive stress. Too easy or too hard tasks lead to boredom or distress, both hindering flow. 08:53 🚫 Ego interferes with flow. Comparative thoughts or judgments about oneself create barriers. Let go of comparisons to achieve flow. 11:41 🎯 Sustained, focused attention is crucial for entering a flow state. Practice techniques like fixed point gazing to strengthen this skill. It's the first step (called "Dhar") toward achieving flow. 16:56 ⏰ Similar to staying in bed to increase the likelihood of falling asleep, staying focused for an extended period increases the chance of entering the flow state. This sustained focus enhances the probability of experiencing flow.
Is the 08:53 time stamp what most people consider ego? It’s just such a vague concept that I haven’t been able to fully understand it. Also, I’ve never had that comparative urge that he describes in the video. At least not in a very long time, and I can only come up with two examples lol.
@@neetfreek9921 a self-centered /self-attached view of things. This is like default mode for basically everyone at least nowadays. You See the World in it's connection to you. You judge and evaluate more or less everything based on your emotions, your opinions or values... That is ego.
This is wild. I started watching trying to understand why I can’t enter the flow state anymore. And I learned that in my teens I did a lot of meditation techniques that I didn’t know existed. I even entered in those psychedelic state of mind bunch of times. I even thought I had some kind mental disorder. Been able to enter in a state that i could not distinguish the boundaries between me and the environment totally submerged and devoided of the sense of self. I miss this peacefulness.
@@Rob-777 yeah. I never used anything other than alcohol and even that I didn’t used that often. The only thing I really did was focus on flames, water streams and lights. I had so much focus back them that when I was reading a book people had to almost shake me to get my attention. But when my alarm rang I instantly stop reading.
@@CaioLGon interesting, I wish I could have your level of attention for reading books, I can't stay focused for more than 3 pages without being distracted by a thought or a sound
@@Rob-777 nowadays I’m just like you. My life is so chaotic and has so many things requiring my attention that I didn’t do meditation for a couple of years and now my focus is almost zero. This video made me realize how present meditation was in my life. And how much it affected my focus. Edit: why don’t you try the candle technique Trataka mentioned in the video. It was my first meditation I ever did. Doing a couple of minutes at time. Just do it every day. I did learn breathing technique and it was that practiced for many years. And it definitely helped. The Trataka was just a natural inclination.
@@CaioLGon Oh I've never thought meditation could have such impact, I did some a few years ago but didn"t really see the benefits. It was a time where I had a lot of anxiety so it was difficult to keep going. Now that I'm much better I'm going to try, thanks for sharing your experience !
I have always entered a flow state when i was creating anything since i was little, I've struggled with chronic illness the past few years that has limited my creative time- this is one of the things i miss the most, it's an amazing feeling.
00:02 Entering the flow state is technically impossible. 02:05 Facilitating a state of flow requires a healthy amount of stress. 04:09 RAF is sensitive to cortisol and requires a decent amount of stress chemical for activation. 06:12 Breathing techniques can help in metabolizing emotions and reducing feeling overwhelmed. 08:23 Flow state requires synchronicity of activity across the brain and a lack of ego. 10:25 Comparisons and judgments hinder entering the Flow State 12:28 Fixed Point gazing is a direct meditation technique that prepares you for a flow state. 14:29 Practice meditation by restraining natural impulses 16:20 Entering the Flow State increases productivity and learning efficiency.
I love being in a flow state. Feels so good. I calm down the emotion as you put by mentally letting go. When I used to get stressed or anxious it would feel like there was an invisible hand wrapped around my mind. Once I learned to release that hand I learned to be free from anxiety and act freely.
how did you learn to release that hand? that sounds impossible to me and I don't know how to do it without thinking of anstract thing that don't make sense.. I want to get rid of this anxiety like you did
@@sullivang8273 Just watch the mind and begin to see it as seperate from you. If you do this nonestop you will create distance from the mind and the mind in time will become more quiet. Dont try to make it quiet to watch it as if it is completely seperate from yourself
@@itsdeadshot2501 hum that's interesting but how do I see it as separate exactly I don't understand how to do this practically 🤔 do you have examples in certain situations maybe?
@@sullivang8273 Just watch your mind just the way you cam watch your body. The goal is to identify with the watcher/consciousness. So dont try to think but thoughts will occur and you domt interact with your own thoughts rather you just watch your thoughts like clouds passing in the sky. So you have to not react to your thoughts which is your mind.
I’m 57, A project manager with a recent official diagnosis of ADD. I have to transition from transactional activities to deep focus document writing and this video is so relevant. It seems like every time I see a Dr K video it’s relevant.
Every time I click on one of your videos I become physically agitated by the stuff you say because it's always so relatable as far as what I have felt in my life. Having explanations to all the things that happen in my life is a very exciting feel. You are a legend and I thank you.
hey Doc, i just want to say thank you for this video. This has genuinely absolutely changed my life. I suffer from a crippling anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and have had extreme insomnia ever since i was a child. I have never EVER been able to fall asleep when i go to bed. It would take me up to 7-8 hours to fall asleep, but ever since i started doing the candle gazing technique, i have been able to do it while closing my eyes when trying to sleep. Imagining the candle in my mind and telling myself not to blink and to focus on the candle (even though i literally cant blind since my eyes are closed XD) but i've been actually able to calm down, fall into some kind of flow state where i just let thoughts pass and just "focus on the candle" in my mind and have managed to fall asleep shorty after i lay down in bed for the first time in my life. I cannot thank you enough. Genuinely, you have no idea how life changing this is for me. Thank you thank you THANK YOU. Your content is a godsend for people all around the world.
I remembered a meditation I've read on the book Alter Ego Effect. I think it works to train entering the flow state without burning your eyes. The trick is to use imagination at your favour. You first pick an easy object to imagine (a paper, a ball,etc...), close your eyes and once you can clearly imagine it, also add a big red number "0" on it. Every time your mind wanders, increase the count by 1. (Tip#1: you can set a timer for about 2 minutes to track your progress on it). (Tip #2: to make it easier, imagine the number with a bright red color.) Glad if it helps ^^
The #2 advice of abolishing your ego is such a priceless advice that no one else is offering, thanks to Dr.K and the ancient Yogic sciences. I've struggled with it for a long time and as a University student it has hurt me more than it should have. I am slowly working on my ego and arrogance which makes me think I'm better than others, eventually killing all sense of striving and humility. Thank you again Dr.K
Last year I had a job where the eustate was perfect and my health, motivation etc. where in excellent shape. Exactly one year later I worked at a job where I was either overwhelmed for a short period and then bored to death for a longer period. There was hardly ever a flow state and I got physically sick. I was miserable until the day got fired. From then on I felt an immense relief and happiness and wellbeing returned.
i tried the meditation you explained, and unexpectedly i had an emotional release attempting it for the first time. I'm taking that as a good sign to continue the practice.
I’m about 1/3 of the way through your guide to meditation, I can’t believe how affordable it is for the amount of amazing info and wisdom, I am SO excited to apply everything!! I’ve been watching you for a couple years now and I’ve gained infinitely more from your videos than from therapy or anything else out there. I tell everyone to watch Dr. K. Thank you Dr. K, keep doing you
3:50 This. This really explains how I'm easily able to get to a state of flow the night before exams. I always think those nights that "if only i can be this productive throughout the year, my life would be so unbelievably better". I've never seen any other self-help channel put it the way you did, hell, they say the opposite. To get nice and relaxed before trying to enter it
The part about controlling your breathing around 7:00 really added a layer to that scene in ATLA for me where Iroh says that power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles.❤
I’m an orchestra musician and I’ve entered the flow state yesterday on stage and it was such a profound experience I’m searching info on this topic now. I’m a big overthinker and it messes with my head a lot so when this inner dialogue disappeared completely it was such a unique feeling for me, it helped soooo much! And i was suddenly much more productive and composed than before. The thing is that the piece we played was very long and I’ve entered flow state at the very end of it, now i want to learn how to enter it earlier so i can perform to the best of my ability the whole time and not just some bits of it
I'm so grateful to that RUclips recommended your channel to me a long time ago, I'm so lucky to have you in my life, whatever I say or write will never show how much I appreciate the knowledge that you deliver to us in a beautiful & professional manner and for free. Seriously Dr. K THANK YOU.
This was the best explanation I've ever heard about what the flow-state is. I've definitely entered it a number of times in my life, but I've never truly grasped the concept until now. I appreciate that.
I think this is why things like the right music or podcast or even "doing stuff for someone I like, even though I don't like the thing" have me slip into flow state more easily with my inattentive type ADHD brain. It equally engages the brain (less boredom) and also regulates it (mind and emotions are concerned with the music&podcast content and is out of the way of me, cleaning up). I'm very easily discarding my ego, once I've "made up my heart and mind" (entering funny heightened states of mind without any help comes to me effortlessly!). I really love how you explained the workings of this process and the breathing tips!
I totally needed this. I'm trying to apply for a new job, really unhappy at my current one. It's been super hard to get myself to write cover letters and such. My mind gets bogged down with thoughts that keep telling me I'll never get the job.
Paste in the job description and tell chatgpt to write the cover letter, then just make modifications to it so it's accurate to your situation and not too cheesy.
I think THE BEST way to practice entering into the flow state is playing a musical instrument. I have a lot of experience as a guy who plays electric guitar. Let me share my observations. 1) When I am focusing on playing perfectly, I am not in the flow state and I do lots of mistakes, and I suck. 2) When I’m not striving for perfect playing but “good enough” playing, I not suddenly, but bit by bit enter into flow state 3) As I focus on playing good enough (and increasing or decreasing my speed based on that) I start to enjoy playing. 4) As I start to enjoy playing, I enter into flow state. I define flow state as, “The only thing you feel at that moment is joy. No other emotion is present/in the mix” 5) When I’m in the flow state while playing, I don’t realize how much time passes. I actually play much better. It almost feels like “while in the flow state” I play unconsciously/automatically, compared to playing manually/consciously. And when I’m playing automatically, I am significantly better at playing. Also while in the flow state, I really don’t care much if I do some mistakes because what I’m focusing on is keeping the “fun” instead of “accuracy” 6) I play in the flow state. I play so inhumanely good (compared to my humanely subpar playing) I am like “Did this just happen or am I imagining things? Was the guy who played this awesome lick me, who is subpar mediocre noob?” 7) Then I get cocky. I am like “All the hot girls should witness the birth of a new rockstar, that’s why I need to record.” 8) Aaaaand shit hits the fan. Now that I am focusing on something else instead of having pure fun + in addition to being very conscious about mistakes and trying to play perfectly (because I am recording and ofc I wanna show a perfectly played kick to all those hot girls), yes you guessed it right, I suck at playing. Maybe I’m trying to play a 20 second long riff but since I broke the flow state + I am never satisfied with the outcome, I keep repeating recording takes. Only after like, 30th take or so that I’m like “Okay, this is close to perfect. I will settle with that and name this take.” 9) After 30mins of brutal trial and error I finally managed to record a 30 second long almost perfect somethinb that I’ll hopefully shpw to the hot girls (that don’t even exist in my life). After that “completed mission” I feel tired and mentally drained. “Fun while playing guitar was a thing in the past, now the actual reason why I’m happy is because I’m finally fucking done with this chore.” So I think I did explain well how I perceive flow state/vs. torture state while playing guitar because I think in this specific activity the difference is striking.
I just did this before I opened this video after struggling all week with adhd and anxiety. I saw a water drop on my shower curtain and I made myself stare at it until I felt relaxed looking at it without blinking. Sometimes when I try to make eye contact with people my mind bounces all over the place and it’s hard to stay relaxed and focused but when I do exercises like this and meditation, socializing becomes so much easier
I've used the fixed point gazing combined with mindfulness (to recognize when I need it) to really get into a better state for studying when I'm distractable. I learned plenty more from this video, but it's one of the most simple and effective meditations that I've experienced.
I always feel bored at meditation while concentrating on breath but I never thought to challenge the technique and make it harder. Thank you, I will try it next time.
I have multiple ways of entering into flow state that I have learned over the years, starting at around 8 years old. The one thing each of these activities have in common is that it is doing something I love to do and actually kinda of good at.
learning an instrument is a perfect way to get into a state of flow in my opinion because you can immediately get into it. "flow" for me is a state of intense focus/thoughtlessness where I am not in the past or future, but simply in the moment. I stop being me and become the music. It's like water flowing in a river. several movements combining and undulating in an constant chaotically ordered state of fluidity and temporal instability blending into other movements. Its pure, maximum control 99% guided by muscle memory, while there's maybe a very small conscious 1% that takes the wheel when particularly challenging parts come up. Repeating mantras in my head usually helps me maintain the state
Love how like everyone and their mom says "comparison is bad".... and then your entire educational career proceeds to constantly encourage you to compare yourself. But really, feeling too much of the "ego" and the focus step seem to be where I personally always get screwed. Because sometimes it feels like I *can't* just choose to focus, and it's actually its own "state" I have to painstakingly try to enter in its own right. "Oh, but you watched this whole video" Because I paused like five times and was simultaneously tabbing out to check on my Rimworld game, lol. Like "it gets easier when you start" is basically a coin-flip phrase for me. There are so many types of task where I can and will still take any and every excuse to stop or "take a break" and then not re-start it. In turn leading to being scared to take those breaks, because I don't "trust" myself with them, which in turn makes me want to avoid the task more.
I played starcraft 2 at a very high level and started noticing that I would enter a flowstate when I had practiced a certain situation so many times that my subconscious just took over, however once I became conscious of being in the flow state it would snap me out of it.
That is very interesting. I'm in uni right now and very often in a battle against my "lazy a$$" to read, and write, and so on. But I eventually get to work and often enter a flow state, which makes me understand deeply my learnings, and makes me able to recall them, and ultimately getting good results. Your video will certainly help me to ease the constant battle I have with myself to put on the hours. Paradoxically, as I'm able to enter a flow state on a regular basis, I'm always struggling to put me in the condition to get in. Like someone who falls asleep easily but always have to fight to go to bed. A never ending fight.
I want to strongly emphasize what Dr K says at 6:40 I frequently get very overwhelmed while I’m studying, and that can cause a plethora of avoidance actions: checking addicting apps, grabbing a snack in the pantry, cleaning, etc.. But if I do resonant breathing (which is inhaling and exhaling for ~6 seconds) while studying I am consistently metabolizing those emotions Also, I’ll do alternate nostril breathing before I start studying
This lines up with what I've read and experienced with different "levels" of meditation. You can't really "do" jhana or access concentration. You can create the state that is more likely to attain highly focused meditation.
For me to enter flow state there are some “entrance” 1.When I experience strong emotions, like mentioned around 5:00, which strong emotions triggers tension and the force and dynamic as well as chemicals all changes within you 2.When I expect nothing and just not plan everything in my head ; in this case my body and emotions or so called “subconscious” does everything for me But these are the two main ways that I get myself into flow state and the biggest enemy of how to ruined flow state is probably be too conscious about the concept of “entering flow state” itself. I personally studied psychology and concepts of psychology for a while so this is nothing new BUT YES! Technically when your mind is conscious you cannot enter flow state cause I think consciousness is something that go against the state of flow. So I think best way is just 🎶🎵🎼LET IT BE 🎶🎼🎵
In my experience, another crucial component of entering flow state is doing something *meaningful.* If what I'm doing isn't very important to me, it doesn't matter how perfectly calibrated it is to my skill & energy level. Some deep part of me is going to be pissed off that I'm wasting my time, and I'll never experience flow for more than a moment at a time. Ask yourself if what you're doing is actually important or if it's bullshit. It helps!
The part about the challenge level is related to doing tasks only, but flow state is more like aligning with your purpose and not just for doing some tasks. Doing things to dissolve ego put you into a total flow state regarding the entire life, that's when you start to observe interconnectivity of everything in real fucking time
Having adhd is like being a two stroke with a small power band but that power band is just so good. Flow is what it feels like to be in that power band.
1. You don't enter the flow state, you let the flow state to enter 2. Eustress good, distress bad. Task should be neither overwhelming nor boring 3. Some cortisol is required but not too much. So flow state won't come to you if you're sleepy. 4. Use deep breathing to overcome distress/ overwhelming emotions. 5. Sense of ego dissipates when one is in flow state (or flow state comes when the sense of ego dissipates?) Practice for making flow state easier to set in 1. Fixed point gazing: concentrating on a single point without blinking for extended time periods. 2. Trataka (yogic practice)
I feel like, even though, we enjoy technological advancements now, our spiritual enlightenment falls a lot behind that of people of the ancient past. Sure, we may still have some of their knowledge, but a lot of us don't value these things enough to seek them out. I'm glad my friend recommended me this channel.
There is some fascinating interplay between this and ADHD that I would love to hear your insights on! In particular, it seems like 1) something that's nice for most people but downright critical for ADHD; doing work any other way is exhausting if it's doable at all 2) something that's greatly impeded by ADHD, not just biologically by starting you with a handicap against having the capacity to stay on task, but you're almost certainly struggling with ego due to the standard issue ADHD trauma
He has specially recommended trataka (the point-gazing technique) for people with ADHD in other videos. Maybe achieving a flow state is harder, but thats dosnt mean u cannot benefit from something that is specially designed to improve focus .
00:00 - Understanding the concept of flow state and its significance in productivity. 01:14 - Comparing the inability to force oneself to sleep with the concept of entering a flow state. 02:26 - Explaining the necessity of a healthy level of stress (eustress) to enter a flow state. 03:41 - Discussing the role of the reticular activating formation (RAF) in engaging attention and focus. 04:56 - Methods to induce eustress or reduce overwhelming stress to facilitate entering the flow state. 06:02 - Emphasizing the importance of emotional regulation, particularly through breath, to alleviate overwhelm. 07:16 - Highlighting the significance of breath control in managing stress levels and promoting focus. 08:32 - Explaining the need for synchronicity of brain activity and the absence of ego to enter a flow state. 09:47 - Discussing the dissolution of ego and techniques to prevent comparative thoughts for entering flow state. 10:57 - Describing the importance of sustained attention and concentration in entering and maintaining flow state. 12:09 - Introducing the practice of fixed point gazing as a method to enhance concentration for entering flow state. 13:23 - Encouraging practice and patience in developing the ability to enter flow state consistently. 14:33 - Explaining the correlation between flow state and spiritual experiences, emphasizing the three prerequisites for entering flow state. 15:43 - Relating the process of entering flow state to falling asleep and the necessity of prolonged focus for success. 16:49 - Providing a personal anecdote and encouraging consistent practice for achieving flow state.
1- Flow state is a state of mind , not an action 2- Do not try hard to enter flow state , cause its not an action its state 3- you need a healthy amount of stress to enter flow state , something called eustress 4- You need to let go of your ego 5- Try fix point gazing meditation , traktaka
I think even when the challenge is bigger than you could maybe handle, you can still enter a flow state. One of the main reasons you fail to enter the state is because you get frustrated. Frustration is distraction. Whenever im playing football, i immerse myself as deep as i can. Focus on the bal. Okay, i gave a bad pass. I'll do better next time. Okay, that tackle was too late. I'll do better next time. Okay, instead of pinging the ball back, I can utilize the space behind me and turn to start an attack. I'll do better next time. Like this, you grow into the game. Show no judgement, no frustration, slowly you are getting absorbed by the game, the moment. This is the no ego part of the flow state. Never ever think, 'oh wow, I am doing great, I can't be stopped, I am so much better'. This is what will take you out of the flow state. Instead continue those thought from earlier: 'Next one'. Just go to the next one. Continue. Don't stop. Thats the way I consistently get into the flow state. Even when it is really hard, and we frankly stand no chance, I find the strength to continue, and not give up, as if done correctly, you have no ego. Just the desire to continue staying in that state.
I have this when I want to start working out. At first I don’t really feel like doing it it but once I begin I start really getting into it and I can’t wait to go into my next set while I’m resting
I see, I've been subconsciously doing that this whole time I focus on work by pretending I'm in a sports anime about whatever task I'm doing The only issue is sometimes I'd get so hyped I'd snap out of flow So I guess I need to regulate my excitement too the breathing definitely helps
Instead of giving into the hype you should tell yourself, "okay, unto the next one" "next" "let's continue" etc. I remember a golfer once telling me that that's what they do to not snap out of the flow state.
The speaker, Dr. K, argues that entering a flow state is not something you can do directly, but it's a state you achieve by setting the conditions right. The video outlines three main conditions to enter a flow state: 1. Eustress: This is a healthy level of stress that keeps you engaged and focused. You can achieve this by making a boring task more challenging or calming yourself down if you're feeling overwhelmed. 2. Lack of Ego: When you enter a flow state, your sense of self dissolves, and you become one with the task. To achieve this, avoid comparing yourself to others and let go of judgmental thoughts. 3. Focus: You need to be able to sustain your focus for an extended period. Meditation techniques like fixed-point gazing can help you develop this skill. The speaker also mentions that entering a flow state is similar to falling asleep. You can't force yourself to sleep, but you can increase your chances of falling asleep by staying in bed. Similarly, you can't force yourself to enter a flow state, but you can create the conditions that make it more likely to happen.
i don't know if I entered flow state in the past, but I can engineer to enter the flow state by changing my sleep schedule and work on things that I have to focus and familiar with (worked on for years). My receipe: fatigue so much that you feel very sleepy, exhaust yourself, then sleep until you are awake, then with that clear mind, work on things that you don't like but you have to do and ideally it contains a lot of tasks and things to finish (e.g. programming), then you enter flow state very easily. you will feel like everything you do, you have a bit of out of body experience that you can almost obversing yourself doing stuff and you don't even think.
3:00 The task I'm currently doing is writing, which most of the is easier than most other tasks I'd do (programming, drawing, creating 3D characters) And I write multiple stories at once, so if I don't know further in one story, I just switch to another one. I always choose the one I'm most motivated in or where I know clearly how to progress. So whenever I get an idea, I write it down as exactly as it's currently in my mind. When I'm motivated I think of a general plan on what should happen in some specific story. When I'm not that motivated, I write stories, which I already wrote down in an abstract way before. When I'm not motilated at all, I just proofread existing stories and mark them an finished. Each accomplished task keeps my motivation going or even increases it, so it never stops completely. I have a overcomplicated system to manage all this, which sometimes forces me to focus on another story, which motivates me even more to write more stories. I have to continue writing stories, I started, in order to be allowed to start new stories. And I have to start writing new stories or continue short stories in order to be allowed to continue existing stories. I even wrote a small program to show me how many stories are allowed to be started and how scenes each story is allowed to have by now. So when I actively forbid myself to write something I want, I want to write it all the more. Usually I would just start writing that and realize it's too difficult, and motivation goes down. What now happens instead, I write what I'm not *that* motivated in, in order to be able to write again what I really want to write. This way the motivation doesn't go down when it's difficult. I write other stories which I also want to get out there, the motivation to write the stories I really want to grows and grows and I get new ideas. So when I'm allowed to write it again, the motivation is usually higher. Or sometimes I'm still more motivated to continue writing the other story which is not allowed anymore, and only write it in order to be able to write other stories. And I have different systems which encourage me to write more. The more I have written in advance, the more I'm allowed to publish. I'm not allowed to just publish everything just after I finished. And I'm only allowed to publish scenes of the story which has the most stories written in advance, so if I want to publish a specific scene as soon as possible, I also have to continue writing that specific story. It sounds unneccessary, but it works pretty well. And this way I'll be getting all interesting ideas I ever had, out without having to finish anything.
Yes! I had to teach my friends what i know in order to learn. for some reason that was the only way i got it. My physics professor made me do this and I was able to maintain a 4.0 for a whole year
In the same way that long exhales help to calm down and relax, longer inhales can help if you want to get some extra energy and kick up a gear. Then when you get to where you want you can balance the inhale and exhale durations, you can find a flow state and maintain the current gear. I'm still working on this but I'm having great results.
my colleague is very often complains about how she is left alone or all kinds of things relating to her overwhelmed state and what needs to be done whilst everyone else is also dealing with the same work enviroment. its not like her 'suffering' happens in a vacuum. its super annoying cause she is constantly has her ego hyperactive and is emotionally shaming us whilst we just want to be doing the tasks at hand.
This is a big video. I recommend riding on a bus and just looking outside the window, thinking more and more. Though i've been always "flying in the clouds" since i was a kid, so my mind is occupied with itself even on just a simple walk. I feel like it is meditation.
9:34 WAIT THATS WHAT THIS IS? 😮 I’ve been able to just, do this, since I was a kid. Oh my god. That’s what it’s called, I’ve gotten into many arguments with people like “no I’m not talking about zoning out. I’m fully there it’s different!” I could never explain it really. Because my understanding of what constituted a Flow State, was drastically different than what it is. I had concepts switched around more or less. Now I’m curious why I get into that mode so easily? Wonder if it’s related to my Asperger’s Syndrome. Edit: Also realizing I do Fixed Point Meditation as a natural habit but not knowing it as a meditation. Just something I do. 😂 that’s hilarious for me.
The meditation technique about the fixed point seemed very interesting. I've been doing this unknowingly while I'm working out on the treadmill. I'd let myself focus on a single point at the wall in front of me and let my running synchronize with the music I'm listening (usually a song with a repetitive beat, no lyrics), and my breath. I always choose a relatively easy pace to do this, so that the running isn't the main focus, but it instead becomes just something that forces me to breathe in a certain way, as well as something that forces my body to be in a specific state. The endorphins from running don't hurt either. This has really helped me to stay "focused" on my running, while simultaneously I'm not exactly thinking about it, as I'm not focused per say at something in particular, I'm just existing in that point in time. I've found this technique to become my favourite meditation technique, and I'm wondering if anyone else is doing this. Could this be considered a fixed point meditation as well? Or is it just something else entirely?
I am always overwhelmed by so many tasks that need to get done, that I find I don't accomplish anything. I make lists: my to do lists. I break the task down into steps list's and the lists sit in a pile. I start a project, and immediately get sidelined by another project that needs to be done first. Ughhh. I feel like a failure.
Thank you ! Just returned from a date, I have the kind of problem that I was not really engagaged in converstation and girl said that I am speaking like I have a notes in my head. Time to time I just was in my head "quickly thinking " "what else I can say". I started to have this problem since I become teenager (11-12 years), I am now 20. I hope that this practices will help me.
Im from Denmark and a lot of us from my generation (im 50) always says, “we are from a generation where kids were to be seen, not heard” sad but true😢im really trying to speak my emotions but its difficult to put words on and im afraid to pass it on to my kids🤷🏻♀️im on waitinglist for psykiatrist at least 1year before i can get appoinment🙄Perimenopause got adhd out in me, stress got my perimenopause out of control, adhd is stressing me. Very bad cyklus…
9:40 That's what I sometimes had when playing Gitaroo Man (basically a rythm game). It gets so hard and there's some section in the Gregorio level, Master mode, where I always failed. But after playing it probably dozens of times, I sometimes was able to make it without a miss. It only lasted a few seconds, but that must be a pretty extreme variant of the flow state.
Starcraft Translation: Firebat is an infantry unit that attacks things fairly close range with an AOE flamethrower. It can be seen as a rather disadvantageous unit due to the competition (internally and externally) including things like futuristic tanks, mechs, aggressive mammoths, Sentient Balls of aggressive plasma, giant offensive spaceships made by both humans and aliens.
Something i discovered was that it is impossible to instantly go into flow state. You are able to somewhat command it, but it won't instantly work. It's like a pc or a console. You press the power button, but it takes time to turn on. The same thing happens. You can command it, but it won't instantly work.
If i was losing against all firebats, i would force myself to flowstate to victory. But seriously, I experienced my strongest flowstate in 2014 around 2:00am while playing xbox cod: advanced warfare online. It was literally as Dr. K said at @9:30 'the video-game gods are playing through you.' I was only ranked 1400 at the time, but I somehow got lobbied up with top #20 people in the world, and I was destroying them. I remember it as if I wasn't playing the game at all. It felt like i was just a witness like a spectator. 3 hours flew by like 3 minutes, and then I had the longest pee of my life.
If you're interested in working on reaching a flow state on a regular basis, I reccomend looking into flow arts (object manipulation) It's an entire community of intentional movement artists and its been a huge part of my life.
In light of this cuffing season, can you do one on women that get rejected by their crushes a lot and how they can improve and get that yes? It's something I'm starting to see a lot of the gen z women complain about and as a man who would have seen that as a jockpot back when I was that age, I am genuinely am curious to see why it is happening and what their solutions should be.
Last method of fix point gazing proven by neuroscience. Where you visual focusing you also increase your mental focus while realising epinephrine and acetylcholine which increase state of alertness. From another hand often blinking display sleepiness, therefore keeping your eyes open also increase alertness Sometimes it’s fascinating how old Indian practice proven by science, it shows the depth and relatedness of Eastern spiritual culture
I hit flow state whenever I begin a task as long as I’m not tired, also I hit it whenever I wake up but it goes when doing repetitive tasks For example, wake up, play a CoD TDM go something by stupid like 40-0, every morning without fail if I try… then next few games I play trash It’s so effective I done my end of year math exams at Uni directly after waking up and got 99/100
To the best of my knowledge, i have never had this experience. Everything i do, pleasant or not, is effortful in a more or less conscious way, a matter of degrees but nothing "just happens" and time does not "fly by" without me noticing. Please folks don't tell me i should do substances to get around this because every such attempt has ended up absolutely horrible. Maybe I'm just overstressed at all times. Sure feels that way.
13:39 In a sense, watching the breath is insanely challenging because our mind will make some excuse or another to escape out of that activity. Wouldn't you say that this could actually be distressful for some people?
True, but I think that only applies to people who are not used to watching the breath/meditation. Once they get used to it, that distress will simmer down into normality/familiarity. Also Dr. K mentions that too many thoughts could be an indication of boredom, so one could also reframe the task at hand to make it slightly more taxing to achieve that perfect level of Eustress that was mentioned in this video. Ex. Sitting up straight while watching the breath. Hope that helps.
Eustress - have a good level of challenge but not be overwhelmed. Use breathing to relieve emotion of overwhelm, and try and simplify or add challenge as needed. Absence of ego - use breathing to relieve emotion, focus on the task not yourself, let go of comparison to other people. Ability to focus - practiced through meditation by looking at a single point without breathing. Do the activity for long enough and you will eventually enter flow state.
It's interesting thinking about the ego bc I've noticed that I've connected my identity so strongly to being unable to concentrate for long periods that my ego doesn't WANT to enter the flow state bc it doesn't want to be let go of. Secondly, I think 'the flow state' has gotten a terrible rep from those hustle culture proprietors that I didn't want to be associated with.
"A loss of ego so that you may lose your sense of self to become one with the task at hand". This concept really helped me, thanks so much.
I think this highlights the trouble a lot of us had with school, lack of eustress. Not motivated by arbitrary task requirements and coursework wasnt challenging in the right ways.
And overwhelmed by the tasking if it feels meaningless or pointlessly difficult.
@@randxalthorschool curriculums are decades behind what would be useful in the real world. the ever-present feeling of "when am I going to use this in real life" makes it really hard to engage. now some of this is because kids would rather do something that's immediately fun and we have way more stuff like that now, and they can't see how they'll need to know the difference between exponential and logarithmic or what have you.
personally I think when kids ask that question, teachers should have an impossibly hard test ready with scenarios from jobs that adults do, let them panic a little, and then explain how you won't need to know whatever you're learning today, you need to know this stuff because you can't understand the stuff you WILL need without a bunch of prerequisites.
Adding fuel to the fire, your reward for completing the work was just more boring work that wasn’t challenging in the first place
"forcibly recall information for a fraction showing how much you know as a reward"... Couldn't we like.. keep the gold star system? Or have a school currency to buy temporary rewards for the day? (Fav teacher did that, you could sit on a yoga ball for the day! Among other rewards, but, I firmly believe all school chairs should be yoga balls). Heck shiny stickers even for doing well, just please do something to hit the reward center instead of boring red ink on white paper😢
As a teacher, I take mental note of this
Nothing gets me into flow state like VR rhythm games. It gets to where I am not thinking about what I’m doing at all yet I smash very fast and complex tracks. It’s not productive in and of itself, but as a 50yo woman with ADHD it’s very useful to escape and reset.
beatsaber?
Ha, nice to see someone else who experiences this. I recommend Audica if you haven't heard of it yet, sadly it's super unknown, but personally I spend the most time playing that one. The learning curve is a bit steep at first, and the game only really gets fun when you reach expert, but once you do... it's great. :D What are your favorites?
BEATSABER 100% AGREE
I became obsessed with flow states about 2 years ago. It was completely brought on by the fact I had bought a quest 2 and started playing beatsaber. I was getting pretty good at it and it got to the point where I was doing many expert+ songs on faster speeds. The feeling of pure blissful focus I felt while doing the songs was something I had barely ever felt in my life. I started devouring books and resources around what this was and how I could utilise it in other aspects of my life. I highly recommend the book "the art of impossible". The message can seem a little grindset at times but it goes into the Nitty gritty on what the highest performers all do, what flow state is and how they achieve it. It's a fascinating topic.
@@dekumutant If you folks love Beatsaber, another one my partner likes is Ragnarock. Very similar concept.
00:00 🧠 Flow state is a mental state characterized by intense focus on a task, but it's not something you can actively "do." It's a state of mind that happens to you.
02:32 🔄 To enter a flow state, you need a moderate level of "eustress," which is positive stress. Too easy or too hard tasks lead to boredom or distress, both hindering flow.
08:53 🚫 Ego interferes with flow. Comparative thoughts or judgments about oneself create barriers. Let go of comparisons to achieve flow.
11:41 🎯 Sustained, focused attention is crucial for entering a flow state. Practice techniques like fixed point gazing to strengthen this skill. It's the first step (called "Dhar") toward achieving flow.
16:56 ⏰ Similar to staying in bed to increase the likelihood of falling asleep, staying focused for an extended period increases the chance of entering the flow state. This sustained focus enhances the probability of experiencing flow.
another unsung hero on the internet. thanks for the timestamps🙏🏻
Is the 08:53 time stamp what most people consider ego? It’s just such a vague concept that I haven’t been able to fully understand it.
Also, I’ve never had that comparative urge that he describes in the video. At least not in a very long time, and I can only come up with two examples lol.
@@neetfreek9921 a self-centered /self-attached view of things. This is like default mode for basically everyone at least nowadays. You See the World in it's connection to you. You judge and evaluate more or less everything based on your emotions, your opinions or values... That is ego.
this is great, thanks!
@TheFailureParadox2023 "HARPA AI" I would guess
This is wild. I started watching trying to understand why I can’t enter the flow state anymore. And I learned that in my teens I did a lot of meditation techniques that I didn’t know existed. I even entered in those psychedelic state of mind bunch of times. I even thought I had some kind mental disorder. Been able to enter in a state that i could not distinguish the boundaries between me and the environment totally submerged and devoided of the sense of self. I miss this peacefulness.
Without substances ?
@@Rob-777 yeah. I never used anything other than alcohol and even that I didn’t used that often. The only thing I really did was focus on flames, water streams and lights. I had so much focus back them that when I was reading a book people had to almost shake me to get my attention. But when my alarm rang I instantly stop reading.
@@CaioLGon interesting, I wish I could have your level of attention for reading books, I can't stay focused for more than 3 pages without being distracted by a thought or a sound
@@Rob-777 nowadays I’m just like you. My life is so chaotic and has so many things requiring my attention that I didn’t do meditation for a couple of years and now my focus is almost zero. This video made me realize how present meditation was in my life. And how much it affected my focus.
Edit: why don’t you try the candle technique Trataka mentioned in the video. It was my first meditation I ever did. Doing a couple of minutes at time. Just do it every day. I did learn breathing technique and it was that practiced for many years. And it definitely helped. The Trataka was just a natural inclination.
@@CaioLGon Oh I've never thought meditation could have such impact, I did some a few years ago but didn"t really see the benefits. It was a time where I had a lot of anxiety so it was difficult to keep going. Now that I'm much better I'm going to try, thanks for sharing your experience !
I have always entered a flow state when i was creating anything since i was little, I've struggled with chronic illness the past few years that has limited my creative time- this is one of the things i miss the most, it's an amazing feeling.
I used to get the most amazing feeling a lot of the time when I would do my art, and now I know what that was!!!
00:02 Entering the flow state is technically impossible.
02:05 Facilitating a state of flow requires a healthy amount of stress.
04:09 RAF is sensitive to cortisol and requires a decent amount of stress chemical for activation.
06:12 Breathing techniques can help in metabolizing emotions and reducing feeling overwhelmed.
08:23 Flow state requires synchronicity of activity across the brain and a lack of ego.
10:25 Comparisons and judgments hinder entering the Flow State
12:28 Fixed Point gazing is a direct meditation technique that prepares you for a flow state.
14:29 Practice meditation by restraining natural impulses
16:20 Entering the Flow State increases productivity and learning efficiency.
I love being in a flow state. Feels so good. I calm down the emotion as you put by mentally letting go. When I used to get stressed or anxious it would feel like there was an invisible hand wrapped around my mind. Once I learned to release that hand I learned to be free from anxiety and act freely.
Flow state is enlightenment state
how did you learn to release that hand? that sounds impossible to me and I don't know how to do it without thinking of anstract thing that don't make sense.. I want to get rid of this anxiety like you did
@@sullivang8273 Just watch the mind and begin to see it as seperate from you. If you do this nonestop you will create distance from the mind and the mind in time will become more quiet. Dont try to make it quiet to watch it as if it is completely seperate from yourself
@@itsdeadshot2501 hum that's interesting but how do I see it as separate exactly I don't understand how to do this practically 🤔 do you have examples in certain situations maybe?
@@sullivang8273 Just watch your mind just the way you cam watch your body. The goal is to identify with the watcher/consciousness. So dont try to think but thoughts will occur and you domt interact with your own thoughts rather you just watch your thoughts like clouds passing in the sky. So you have to not react to your thoughts which is your mind.
I’m 57, A project manager with a recent official diagnosis of ADD. I have to transition from transactional activities to deep focus document writing and this video is so relevant. It seems like every time I see a Dr K video it’s relevant.
DSM5 is fake
I’m a 37 year old professional forced on medical sick leave for burnout. These videos have really helped working through my awareness
@@Lo-to7zh elaborate please?
Every time I click on one of your videos I become physically agitated by the stuff you say because it's always so relatable as far as what I have felt in my life. Having explanations to all the things that happen in my life is a very exciting feel. You are a legend and I thank you.
hey Doc, i just want to say thank you for this video. This has genuinely absolutely changed my life. I suffer from a crippling anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and have had extreme insomnia ever since i was a child. I have never EVER been able to fall asleep when i go to bed. It would take me up to 7-8 hours to fall asleep, but ever since i started doing the candle gazing technique, i have been able to do it while closing my eyes when trying to sleep. Imagining the candle in my mind and telling myself not to blink and to focus on the candle (even though i literally cant blind since my eyes are closed XD) but i've been actually able to calm down, fall into some kind of flow state where i just let thoughts pass and just "focus on the candle" in my mind and have managed to fall asleep shorty after i lay down in bed for the first time in my life. I cannot thank you enough. Genuinely, you have no idea how life changing this is for me. Thank you thank you THANK YOU. Your content is a godsend for people all around the world.
did this exercise, i.e., getting into the flow state, help you deal with or recover from your depression?
@@frankclements1431 yes, absolutely... it genuinely changed my life, as small as it seems lol
I remembered a meditation I've read on the book Alter Ego Effect. I think it works to train entering the flow state without burning your eyes.
The trick is to use imagination at your favour. You first pick an easy object to imagine (a paper, a ball,etc...), close your eyes and once you can clearly imagine it, also add a big red number "0" on it. Every time your mind wanders, increase the count by 1.
(Tip#1: you can set a timer for about 2 minutes to track your progress on it).
(Tip #2: to make it easier, imagine the number with a bright red color.)
Glad if it helps ^^
The #2 advice of abolishing your ego is such a priceless advice that no one else is offering, thanks to Dr.K and the ancient Yogic sciences. I've struggled with it for a long time and as a University student it has hurt me more than it should have. I am slowly working on my ego and arrogance which makes me think I'm better than others, eventually killing all sense of striving and humility. Thank you again Dr.K
Last year I had a job where the eustate was perfect and my health, motivation etc. where in excellent shape. Exactly one year later I worked at a job where I was either overwhelmed for a short period and then bored to death for a longer period. There was hardly ever a flow state and I got physically sick. I was miserable until the day got fired. From then on I felt an immense relief and happiness and wellbeing returned.
i tried the meditation you explained, and unexpectedly i had an emotional release attempting it for the first time. I'm taking that as a good sign to continue the practice.
I’m about 1/3 of the way through your guide to meditation, I can’t believe how affordable it is for the amount of amazing info and wisdom, I am SO excited to apply everything!! I’ve been watching you for a couple years now and I’ve gained infinitely more from your videos than from therapy or anything else out there. I tell everyone to watch Dr. K. Thank you Dr. K, keep doing you
I just wanna say that the way you talk, the intonation, pause and so on, it's pleasing to listen to.
3:50
This. This really explains how I'm easily able to get to a state of flow the night before exams. I always think those nights that "if only i can be this productive throughout the year, my life would be so unbelievably better". I've never seen any other self-help channel put it the way you did, hell, they say the opposite. To get nice and relaxed before trying to enter it
The part about controlling your breathing around 7:00 really added a layer to that scene in ATLA for me where Iroh says that power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles.❤
I’m an orchestra musician and I’ve entered the flow state yesterday on stage and it was such a profound experience I’m searching info on this topic now. I’m a big overthinker and it messes with my head a lot so when this inner dialogue disappeared completely it was such a unique feeling for me, it helped soooo much! And i was suddenly much more productive and composed than before. The thing is that the piece we played was very long and I’ve entered flow state at the very end of it, now i want to learn how to enter it earlier so i can perform to the best of my ability the whole time and not just some bits of it
Thanks!
I'm so grateful to that RUclips recommended your channel to me a long time ago, I'm so lucky to have you in my life, whatever I say or write will never show how much I appreciate the knowledge that you deliver to us in a beautiful & professional manner and for free. Seriously Dr. K THANK YOU.
This was the best explanation I've ever heard about what the flow-state is. I've definitely entered it a number of times in my life, but I've never truly grasped the concept until now. I appreciate that.
I think this is why things like the right music or podcast or even "doing stuff for someone I like, even though I don't like the thing" have me slip into flow state more easily with my inattentive type ADHD brain. It equally engages the brain (less boredom) and also regulates it (mind and emotions are concerned with the music&podcast content and is out of the way of me, cleaning up). I'm very easily discarding my ego, once I've "made up my heart and mind" (entering funny heightened states of mind without any help comes to me effortlessly!).
I really love how you explained the workings of this process and the breathing tips!
I totally needed this. I'm trying to apply for a new job, really unhappy at my current one. It's been super hard to get myself to write cover letters and such. My mind gets bogged down with thoughts that keep telling me I'll never get the job.
Paste in the job description and tell chatgpt to write the cover letter, then just make modifications to it so it's accurate to your situation and not too cheesy.
I think THE BEST way to practice entering into the flow state is playing a musical instrument. I have a lot of experience as a guy who plays electric guitar. Let me share my observations.
1) When I am focusing on playing perfectly, I am not in the flow state and I do lots of mistakes, and I suck.
2) When I’m not striving for perfect playing but “good enough” playing, I not suddenly, but bit by bit enter into flow state
3) As I focus on playing good enough (and increasing or decreasing my speed based on that) I start to enjoy playing.
4) As I start to enjoy playing, I enter into flow state. I define flow state as, “The only thing you feel at that moment is joy. No other emotion is present/in the mix”
5) When I’m in the flow state while playing, I don’t realize how much time passes. I actually play much better. It almost feels like “while in the flow state” I play unconsciously/automatically, compared to playing manually/consciously. And when I’m playing automatically, I am significantly better at playing. Also while in the flow state, I really don’t care much if I do some mistakes because what I’m focusing on is keeping the “fun” instead of “accuracy”
6) I play in the flow state. I play so inhumanely good (compared to my humanely subpar playing) I am like “Did this just happen or am I imagining things? Was the guy who played this awesome lick me, who is subpar mediocre noob?”
7) Then I get cocky. I am like “All the hot girls should witness the birth of a new rockstar, that’s why I need to record.”
8) Aaaaand shit hits the fan. Now that I am focusing on something else instead of having pure fun + in addition to being very conscious about mistakes and trying to play perfectly (because I am recording and ofc I wanna show a perfectly played kick to all those hot girls), yes you guessed it right, I suck at playing. Maybe I’m trying to play a 20 second long riff but since I broke the flow state + I am never satisfied with the outcome, I keep repeating recording takes. Only after like, 30th take or so that I’m like “Okay, this is close to perfect. I will settle with that and name this take.”
9) After 30mins of brutal trial and error I finally managed to record a 30 second long almost perfect somethinb that I’ll hopefully shpw to the hot girls (that don’t even exist in my life). After that “completed mission” I feel tired and mentally drained. “Fun while playing guitar was a thing in the past, now the actual reason why I’m happy is because I’m finally fucking done with this chore.”
So I think I did explain well how I perceive flow state/vs. torture state while playing guitar because I think in this specific activity the difference is striking.
The flow state is a state of mind not an action ❤❤ Brilliant
I just did this before I opened this video after struggling all week with adhd and anxiety. I saw a water drop on my shower curtain and I made myself stare at it until I felt relaxed looking at it without blinking. Sometimes when I try to make eye contact with people my mind bounces all over the place and it’s hard to stay relaxed and focused but when I do exercises like this and meditation, socializing becomes so much easier
As an athlete this is exactly what i needed to hear. Great stuff as always
I've used the fixed point gazing combined with mindfulness (to recognize when I need it) to really get into a better state for studying when I'm distractable. I learned plenty more from this video, but it's one of the most simple and effective meditations that I've experienced.
I always feel bored at meditation while concentrating on breath but I never thought to challenge the technique and make it harder.
Thank you, I will try it next time.
I have multiple ways of entering into flow state that I have learned over the years, starting at around 8 years old. The one thing each of these activities have in common is that it is doing something I love to do and actually kinda of good at.
learning an instrument is a perfect way to get into a state of flow in my opinion because you can immediately get into it. "flow" for me is a state of intense focus/thoughtlessness where I am not in the past or future, but simply in the moment. I stop being me and become the music. It's like water flowing in a river. several movements combining and undulating in an constant chaotically ordered state of fluidity and temporal instability blending into other movements. Its pure, maximum control 99% guided by muscle memory, while there's maybe a very small conscious 1% that takes the wheel when particularly challenging parts come up. Repeating mantras in my head usually helps me maintain the state
Thank you for this video. I especially struggle with pressure and letting go of my ego sometimes, so the advice definitely helps a lot.
Now this is my kind of video, keep it up Dr. K! 💯
Love how like everyone and their mom says "comparison is bad".... and then your entire educational career proceeds to constantly encourage you to compare yourself.
But really, feeling too much of the "ego" and the focus step seem to be where I personally always get screwed. Because sometimes it feels like I *can't* just choose to focus, and it's actually its own "state" I have to painstakingly try to enter in its own right.
"Oh, but you watched this whole video" Because I paused like five times and was simultaneously tabbing out to check on my Rimworld game, lol.
Like "it gets easier when you start" is basically a coin-flip phrase for me. There are so many types of task where I can and will still take any and every excuse to stop or "take a break" and then not re-start it.
In turn leading to being scared to take those breaks, because I don't "trust" myself with them, which in turn makes me want to avoid the task more.
I played starcraft 2 at a very high level and started noticing that I would enter a flowstate when I had practiced a certain situation so many times that my subconscious just took over, however once I became conscious of being in the flow state it would snap me out of it.
I enter Flow all the time. Concentration on the matter at hand and disipline of the mind does wonders.
That is very interesting. I'm in uni right now and very often in a battle against my "lazy a$$" to read, and write, and so on. But I eventually get to work and often enter a flow state, which makes me understand deeply my learnings, and makes me able to recall them, and ultimately getting good results. Your video will certainly help me to ease the constant battle I have with myself to put on the hours. Paradoxically, as I'm able to enter a flow state on a regular basis, I'm always struggling to put me in the condition to get in. Like someone who falls asleep easily but always have to fight to go to bed. A never ending fight.
Surprisingly easy to enter flow state when I'm dropping off a clif with skis strapped on my feet. Almost impossible when I'm at my work desk 😂
Guys... The Blue Lock manga taught me this...
I want to strongly emphasize what Dr K says at 6:40
I frequently get very overwhelmed while I’m studying, and that can cause a plethora of avoidance actions: checking addicting apps, grabbing a snack in the pantry, cleaning, etc..
But if I do resonant breathing (which is inhaling and exhaling for ~6 seconds) while studying I am consistently metabolizing those emotions
Also, I’ll do alternate nostril breathing before I start studying
Also, HealthyGamer’s ‘Meditation to Remove Negative Emotion’ is absolutely amazing for this too
The video ‘procrastinate MORE not less’ is a great companion video for this topic as well
thanks bro that problem is really relatable for me and many others. ill look into it and take note :)
@@homeyworkey Yeah of course! Let me know if it helps you out!
This lines up with what I've read and experienced with different "levels" of meditation.
You can't really "do" jhana or access concentration. You can create the state that is more likely to attain highly focused meditation.
For me to enter flow state there are some “entrance”
1.When I experience strong emotions, like mentioned around 5:00, which strong emotions triggers tension and the force and dynamic as well as chemicals all changes within you
2.When I expect nothing and just not plan everything in my head ; in this case my body and emotions or so called “subconscious” does everything for me
But these are the two main ways that I get myself into flow state and the biggest enemy of how to ruined flow state is probably be too conscious about the concept of “entering flow state” itself.
I personally studied psychology and concepts of psychology for a while so this is nothing new BUT YES! Technically when your mind is conscious you cannot enter flow state cause I think consciousness is something that go against the state of flow. So I think best way is just 🎶🎵🎼LET IT BE 🎶🎼🎵
In my experience, another crucial component of entering flow state is doing something *meaningful.* If what I'm doing isn't very important to me, it doesn't matter how perfectly calibrated it is to my skill & energy level. Some deep part of me is going to be pissed off that I'm wasting my time, and I'll never experience flow for more than a moment at a time.
Ask yourself if what you're doing is actually important or if it's bullshit. It helps!
The part about the challenge level is related to doing tasks only, but flow state is more like aligning with your purpose and not just for doing some tasks. Doing things to dissolve ego put you into a total flow state regarding the entire life, that's when you start to observe interconnectivity of everything in real fucking time
Having adhd is like being a two stroke with a small power band but that power band is just so good. Flow is what it feels like to be in that power band.
1. You don't enter the flow state, you let the flow state to enter
2. Eustress good, distress bad. Task should be neither overwhelming nor boring
3. Some cortisol is required but not too much. So flow state won't come to you if you're sleepy.
4. Use deep breathing to overcome distress/ overwhelming emotions.
5. Sense of ego dissipates when one is in flow state (or flow state comes when the sense of ego dissipates?)
Practice for making flow state easier to set in
1. Fixed point gazing: concentrating on a single point without blinking for extended time periods.
2. Trataka (yogic practice)
I read the book he showed in the beginning. The Body Keeps the Score is a fantastic book.
Glad to see someone else was able to recognize it on sight by seeing half the cover in about half a second.
I feel like, even though, we enjoy technological advancements now, our spiritual enlightenment falls a lot behind that of people of the ancient past. Sure, we may still have some of their knowledge, but a lot of us don't value these things enough to seek them out. I'm glad my friend recommended me this channel.
I’ve been looking online for anything about the flow state. The “science” behind it. How it works vs your “off” days. Dr K comes in clutch again.
There is some fascinating interplay between this and ADHD that I would love to hear your insights on!
In particular, it seems like
1) something that's nice for most people but downright critical for ADHD; doing work any other way is exhausting if it's doable at all
2) something that's greatly impeded by ADHD, not just biologically by starting you with a handicap against having the capacity to stay on task, but you're almost certainly struggling with ego due to the standard issue ADHD trauma
He has specially recommended trataka (the point-gazing technique) for people with ADHD in other videos. Maybe achieving a flow state is harder, but thats dosnt mean u cannot benefit from something that is specially designed to improve focus .
00:00 - Understanding the concept of flow state and its significance in productivity.
01:14 - Comparing the inability to force oneself to sleep with the concept of entering a flow state.
02:26 - Explaining the necessity of a healthy level of stress (eustress) to enter a flow state.
03:41 - Discussing the role of the reticular activating formation (RAF) in engaging attention and focus.
04:56 - Methods to induce eustress or reduce overwhelming stress to facilitate entering the flow state.
06:02 - Emphasizing the importance of emotional regulation, particularly through breath, to alleviate overwhelm.
07:16 - Highlighting the significance of breath control in managing stress levels and promoting focus.
08:32 - Explaining the need for synchronicity of brain activity and the absence of ego to enter a flow state.
09:47 - Discussing the dissolution of ego and techniques to prevent comparative thoughts for entering flow state.
10:57 - Describing the importance of sustained attention and concentration in entering and maintaining flow state.
12:09 - Introducing the practice of fixed point gazing as a method to enhance concentration for entering flow state.
13:23 - Encouraging practice and patience in developing the ability to enter flow state consistently.
14:33 - Explaining the correlation between flow state and spiritual experiences, emphasizing the three prerequisites for entering flow state.
15:43 - Relating the process of entering flow state to falling asleep and the necessity of prolonged focus for success.
16:49 - Providing a personal anecdote and encouraging consistent practice for achieving flow state.
please never stop making videos, even if you have to repeat content sometimes, it's so helpful to watch new videos from you on old topics as reminders
Videos are pretty good.
Just too bad that Dr. K and staff participate in child abuse/sexualization of children and constantly cover it up.
1- Flow state is a state of mind , not an action
2- Do not try hard to enter flow state , cause its not an action its state
3- you need a healthy amount of stress to enter flow state , something called eustress
4- You need to let go of your ego
5- Try fix point gazing meditation , traktaka
Let go of your ego so you become one with thing you are focusing on
@@Ben-li5et thanks
I find it happens from time to time, seemingly at random.
Getting myself up & going & working is necessary but not sufficient to achieve this state.
I used to get As in economics because people would hit me up for my notes and to teach them after class. Tutoring is a great motivator.
I think even when the challenge is bigger than you could maybe handle, you can still enter a flow state. One of the main reasons you fail to enter the state is because you get frustrated. Frustration is distraction. Whenever im playing football, i immerse myself as deep as i can.
Focus on the bal.
Okay, i gave a bad pass. I'll do better next time.
Okay, that tackle was too late. I'll do better next time.
Okay, instead of pinging the ball back, I can utilize the space behind me and turn to start an attack. I'll do better next time.
Like this, you grow into the game. Show no judgement, no frustration, slowly you are getting absorbed by the game, the moment. This is the no ego part of the flow state. Never ever think, 'oh wow, I am doing great, I can't be stopped, I am so much better'. This is what will take you out of the flow state. Instead continue those thought from earlier: 'Next one'. Just go to the next one. Continue. Don't stop. Thats the way I consistently get into the flow state. Even when it is really hard, and we frankly stand no chance, I find the strength to continue, and not give up, as if done correctly, you have no ego. Just the desire to continue staying in that state.
I have this when I want to start working out. At first I don’t really feel like doing it it but once I begin I start really getting into it and I can’t wait to go into my next set while I’m resting
I see, I've been subconsciously doing that this whole time
I focus on work by pretending I'm in a sports anime about whatever task I'm doing
The only issue is sometimes I'd get so hyped I'd snap out of flow
So I guess I need to regulate my excitement too the breathing definitely helps
Instead of giving into the hype you should tell yourself, "okay, unto the next one" "next" "let's continue" etc. I remember a golfer once telling me that that's what they do to not snap out of the flow state.
Oh man, I feel like this is a great transition to the discussion of why companies try to adopt a McMindfulness approach 10:30
Really, Dr. K, no words can describe how helpful job you're doing here. Thanks a lot, you're helping all of us so much, you're the best!
The speaker, Dr. K, argues that entering a flow state is not something you can do directly, but it's a state you achieve by setting the conditions right.
The video outlines three main conditions to enter a flow state:
1. Eustress: This is a healthy level of stress that keeps you engaged and focused. You can achieve this by making a boring task more challenging or calming yourself down if you're feeling overwhelmed.
2. Lack of Ego: When you enter a flow state, your sense of self dissolves, and you become one with the task. To achieve this, avoid comparing yourself to others and let go of judgmental thoughts.
3. Focus: You need to be able to sustain your focus for an extended period. Meditation techniques like fixed-point gazing can help you develop this skill.
The speaker also mentions that entering a flow state is similar to falling asleep. You can't force yourself to sleep, but you can increase your chances of falling asleep by staying in bed. Similarly, you can't force yourself to enter a flow state, but you can create the conditions that make it more likely to happen.
i don't know if I entered flow state in the past, but I can engineer to enter the flow state by changing my sleep schedule and work on things that I have to focus and familiar with (worked on for years). My receipe: fatigue so much that you feel very sleepy, exhaust yourself, then sleep until you are awake, then with that clear mind, work on things that you don't like but you have to do and ideally it contains a lot of tasks and things to finish (e.g. programming), then you enter flow state very easily. you will feel like everything you do, you have a bit of out of body experience that you can almost obversing yourself doing stuff and you don't even think.
3:00 The task I'm currently doing is writing, which most of the is easier than most other tasks I'd do (programming, drawing, creating 3D characters)
And I write multiple stories at once, so if I don't know further in one story, I just switch to another one. I always choose the one I'm most motivated in or where I know clearly how to progress.
So whenever I get an idea, I write it down as exactly as it's currently in my mind. When I'm motivated I think of a general plan on what should happen in some specific story.
When I'm not that motivated, I write stories, which I already wrote down in an abstract way before.
When I'm not motilated at all, I just proofread existing stories and mark them an finished.
Each accomplished task keeps my motivation going or even increases it, so it never stops completely.
I have a overcomplicated system to manage all this, which sometimes forces me to focus on another story, which motivates me even more to write more stories. I have to continue writing stories, I started, in order to be allowed to start new stories. And I have to start writing new stories or continue short stories in order to be allowed to continue existing stories.
I even wrote a small program to show me how many stories are allowed to be started and how scenes each story is allowed to have by now.
So when I actively forbid myself to write something I want, I want to write it all the more. Usually I would just start writing that and realize it's too difficult, and motivation goes down.
What now happens instead, I write what I'm not *that* motivated in, in order to be able to write again what I really want to write. This way the motivation doesn't go down when it's difficult.
I write other stories which I also want to get out there, the motivation to write the stories I really want to grows and grows and I get new ideas. So when I'm allowed to write it again, the motivation is usually higher.
Or sometimes I'm still more motivated to continue writing the other story which is not allowed anymore, and only write it in order to be able to write other stories.
And I have different systems which encourage me to write more.
The more I have written in advance, the more I'm allowed to publish. I'm not allowed to just publish everything just after I finished.
And I'm only allowed to publish scenes of the story which has the most stories written in advance, so if I want to publish a specific scene as soon as possible, I also have to continue writing that specific story.
It sounds unneccessary, but it works pretty well.
And this way I'll be getting all interesting ideas I ever had, out without having to finish anything.
Yes! I had to teach my friends what i know in order to learn. for some reason that was the only way i got it. My physics professor made me do this and I was able to maintain a 4.0 for a whole year
In the same way that long exhales help to calm down and relax, longer inhales can help if you want to get some extra energy and kick up a gear. Then when you get to where you want you can balance the inhale and exhale durations, you can find a flow state and maintain the current gear.
I'm still working on this but I'm having great results.
I often find myself getting distracted by my thoughts at work. Thank you for the tips, I'll try to implement them, see if it helps
By changing your breath, your emotions will change with it 7:39
The book Dr. K holds up at 1:01 is The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
How do I enter the cash flow state
Start corporate
Invest in crypto and watch your life savings vanish. You have entered the cash flow state, except the cash flows out of your pockets.
Go United States
Invest in Doge coin my friend
my colleague is very often complains about how she is left alone or all kinds of things relating to her overwhelmed state and what needs to be done whilst everyone else is also dealing with the same work enviroment. its not like her 'suffering' happens in a vacuum. its super annoying cause she is constantly has her ego hyperactive and is emotionally shaming us whilst we just want to be doing the tasks at hand.
This is a big video.
I recommend riding on a bus and just looking outside the window, thinking more and more. Though i've been always "flying in the clouds" since i was a kid, so my mind is occupied with itself even on just a simple walk. I feel like it is meditation.
9:34 WAIT THATS WHAT THIS IS?
😮
I’ve been able to just, do this, since I was a kid. Oh my god. That’s what it’s called, I’ve gotten into many arguments with people like “no I’m not talking about zoning out. I’m fully there it’s different!” I could never explain it really.
Because my understanding of what constituted a Flow State, was drastically different than what it is. I had concepts switched around more or less.
Now I’m curious why I get into that mode so easily? Wonder if it’s related to my Asperger’s Syndrome.
Edit: Also realizing I do Fixed Point Meditation as a natural habit but not knowing it as a meditation. Just something I do. 😂 that’s hilarious for me.
The meditation technique about the fixed point seemed very interesting.
I've been doing this unknowingly while I'm working out on the treadmill. I'd let myself focus on a single point at the wall in front of me and let my running synchronize with the music I'm listening (usually a song with a repetitive beat, no lyrics), and my breath. I always choose a relatively easy pace to do this, so that the running isn't the main focus, but it instead becomes just something that forces me to breathe in a certain way, as well as something that forces my body to be in a specific state. The endorphins from running don't hurt either.
This has really helped me to stay "focused" on my running, while simultaneously I'm not exactly thinking about it, as I'm not focused per say at something in particular, I'm just existing in that point in time.
I've found this technique to become my favourite meditation technique, and I'm wondering if anyone else is doing this. Could this be considered a fixed point meditation as well? Or is it just something else entirely?
Istg, the timing on these videos is almost supernatural at this point.
I am always overwhelmed by so many tasks that need to get done, that I find I don't accomplish anything.
I make lists: my to do lists. I break the task down into steps list's and the lists sit in a pile.
I start a project, and immediately get sidelined by another project that needs to be done first.
Ughhh.
I feel like a failure.
Literally in the middle of the video my mind suddenly remembered to compare again..
I just feel stressed and having a guilty pleasure right now.
Thank you ! Just returned from a date, I have the kind of problem that I was not really engagaged in converstation and girl said that I am speaking like I have a notes in my head. Time to time I just was in my head "quickly thinking " "what else I can say". I started to have this problem since I become teenager (11-12 years), I am now 20. I hope that this practices will help me.
Maybe the problem is more complex, I dunno, but, I will try to train my focus
Im from Denmark and a lot of us from my generation (im 50) always says, “we are from a generation where kids were to be seen, not heard” sad but true😢im really trying to speak my emotions but its difficult to put words on and im afraid to pass it on to my kids🤷🏻♀️im on waitinglist for psykiatrist at least 1year before i can get appoinment🙄Perimenopause got adhd out in me, stress got my perimenopause out of control, adhd is stressing me. Very bad cyklus…
Been watching you for a while. My provider for my medication recommended this video. This will be a good topic when me and him talk haha.
9:40 That's what I sometimes had when playing Gitaroo Man (basically a rythm game).
It gets so hard and there's some section in the Gregorio level, Master mode, where I always failed. But after playing it probably dozens of times, I sometimes was able to make it without a miss.
It only lasted a few seconds, but that must be a pretty extreme variant of the flow state.
Starcraft Translation: Firebat is an infantry unit that attacks things fairly close range with an AOE flamethrower.
It can be seen as a rather disadvantageous unit due to the competition (internally and externally) including things like futuristic tanks, mechs, aggressive mammoths, Sentient Balls of aggressive plasma, giant offensive spaceships made by both humans and aliens.
Something i discovered was that it is impossible to instantly go into flow state. You are able to somewhat command it, but it won't instantly work. It's like a pc or a console. You press the power button, but it takes time to turn on. The same thing happens. You can command it, but it won't instantly work.
If i was losing against all firebats, i would force myself to flowstate to victory.
But seriously, I experienced my strongest flowstate in 2014 around 2:00am while playing xbox cod: advanced warfare online. It was literally as Dr. K said at @9:30 'the video-game gods are playing through you.' I was only ranked 1400 at the time, but I somehow got lobbied up with top #20 people in the world, and I was destroying them. I remember it as if I wasn't playing the game at all. It felt like i was just a witness like a spectator. 3 hours flew by like 3 minutes, and then I had the longest pee of my life.
This one makes sense! Thank you Dr. K!
If you're interested in working on reaching a flow state on a regular basis, I reccomend looking into flow arts (object manipulation)
It's an entire community of intentional movement artists and its been a huge part of my life.
In light of this cuffing season, can you do one on women that get rejected by their crushes a lot and how they can improve and get that yes?
It's something I'm starting to see a lot of the gen z women complain about and as a man who would have seen that as a jockpot back when I was that age, I am genuinely am curious to see why it is happening and what their solutions should be.
Last method of fix point gazing proven by neuroscience. Where you visual focusing you also increase your mental focus while realising epinephrine and acetylcholine which increase state of alertness. From another hand often blinking display sleepiness, therefore keeping your eyes open also increase alertness
Sometimes it’s fascinating how old Indian practice proven by science, it shows the depth and relatedness of Eastern spiritual culture
I hit flow state whenever I begin a task as long as I’m not tired, also I hit it whenever I wake up but it goes when doing repetitive tasks
For example, wake up, play a CoD TDM go something by stupid like 40-0, every morning without fail if I try… then next few games I play trash
It’s so effective I done my end of year math exams at Uni directly after waking up and got 99/100
Dr. K was on fire in this one 😅 the content just keeps getting better! ❤
Sitting on my Master thesis right now - I needed this really bad. Thank you Dr. K.
I LOVE THIS VIDEO! At @13:18 YOU KILLED ME!! HAAH You earned a sub!
To the best of my knowledge, i have never had this experience. Everything i do, pleasant or not, is effortful in a more or less conscious way, a matter of degrees but nothing "just happens" and time does not "fly by" without me noticing. Please folks don't tell me i should do substances to get around this because every such attempt has ended up absolutely horrible. Maybe I'm just overstressed at all times. Sure feels that way.
13:39 In a sense, watching the breath is insanely challenging because our mind will make some excuse or another to escape out of that activity. Wouldn't you say that this could actually be distressful for some people?
True, but I think that only applies to people who are not used to watching the breath/meditation. Once they get used to it, that distress will simmer down into normality/familiarity.
Also Dr. K mentions that too many thoughts could be an indication of boredom, so one could also reframe the task at hand to make it slightly more taxing to achieve that perfect level of Eustress that was mentioned in this video. Ex. Sitting up straight while watching the breath.
Hope that helps.
If you have emotional issues you are suppressing, they will definitely come up during meditation.
Thank you for everything ❤
Curious about the role cortisol plays in insecure attachment, also ADHD. Chaos = Excitement...
Eustress - have a good level of challenge but not be overwhelmed. Use breathing to relieve emotion of overwhelm, and try and simplify or add challenge as needed.
Absence of ego - use breathing to relieve emotion, focus on the task not yourself, let go of comparison to other people.
Ability to focus - practiced through meditation by looking at a single point without breathing. Do the activity for long enough and you will eventually enter flow state.
It's interesting thinking about the ego bc I've noticed that I've connected my identity so strongly to being unable to concentrate for long periods that my ego doesn't WANT to enter the flow state bc it doesn't want to be let go of. Secondly, I think 'the flow state' has gotten a terrible rep from those hustle culture proprietors that I didn't want to be associated with.
Reading fiction and fantasy if the most flow I ever feel. Such escapism from the ego. Not always in the most positive way maybe, but amazing