Introduction

If you’ve watched Michael Phelps swim, you know it looks effortless. He glides through the water with ease and grace. It’s as though he’s barely even trying — but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When Phelps trains, he pushes himself to his limits to achieve peak performance. And by doing so, he’s rewired his brain to enter a flow state on demand.

Michael Phelps is a world-class athlete

Born in 1985, he grew up in Towson, Maryland, and began swimming at seven. Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time for his 23 Olympic gold medals, which he won during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He also holds the world record for the most gold medals a male Olympic swimmer won in a single Olympic Games, with eight that he achieved during the 2008 Summer Olympics (more if you count his silver and bronze).

A performance state of mind

What is the state of flow?

The term “flow” was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who was studying art. He noticed that artists seemed to be in a state where they felt completely immersed in their work, as though time had stopped and they weren’t aware of anything else going on around them. It led him to research what it means to be in a state of flow.

What does the brain look like when it’s in this state?

When someone experiences flow, their brain activity changes dramatically:

• The prefrontal cortex (the part responsible for decision-making) decreases activity while other parts increase theirs. This allows you to focus on one task without being distracted by other things happening around you or inside yourself — even if those distractions are positive ones!
• Your cortisol levels go down while dopamine levels go up; this helps you stay calm and focused on whatever task needs doing instead of worrying about unrelated or past events (which usually increases stress).

The difference between challenge and stress

One of the most important things to remember about flow is that it is a positive state of mind. When you are in flow, you feel engaged and fulfilled by your work—usually because it is challenging enough to be interesting but not so complex that it becomes stressful.

In contrast, stress results from goals that are too hard or too easy for us to achieve regularly. If we feel like our goals are impossible or trivial all the time, we will experience chronic stress over time, which can significantly adversely affect our health and well-being.

The physical experience of flow

• Your body is relaxed, and you feel at ease.
• Your mind is focused and straightforward but not distracted by things outside of the task at hand.
• The body moves easily as if it were moving on its own accord (think dance).
• The mind is quiet; you don’t have any thoughts or worries going through your head while in this state of flow.
• The body feels energized and alert—like it could go forever without needing a break or food/water! You feel like you have unlimited energy inside of yourself that you can tap into at any time… you’re ready for anything!

Why flow is so elusive — and how to find it

Flow is a state of mind, but it’s also much more. It’s not just about the feeling you get when you’re immersed in something you love doing (like playing video games or painting). The flow state represents an optimal state of consciousness for your brain. When you’re in flow, your brain is operating at its highest level of functioning: your perception becomes sharp and focused; your memory improves; creativity runs wild. You feel happy—and motivated!

Flow occurs when an activity matches up well with one’s skill level. Flow isn’t just for people who are already good at what they do; it can happen to anyone who has found a way to improve something over time through practice (elements 4-8).

What makes peak performers the best in their fields?

Some people are just better at certain things than others. And when it comes to focusing, concentration, and the ability to block out distractions, many of us struggle.

But what if there were a way for all of us to get into flow? What if we could learn how to “turn off” our minds from everything else around us? Think about it: by being in a state of flow, we could be more productive at work and more productive when studying for school or learning new skills. We could also increase our happiness levels by allowing ourselves time each day where we allow ourselves to get into this state. It is a time when all thoughts drift away so that only one thing matters: what is happening right now (and nothing else). And while many people think this sounds too good to be true – perhaps even impossible – psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says otherwise.

The most successful people in any industry have a secret weapon. They can focus entirely on whatever they’re doing, whether competing in their sport of choice or showing up to work every day and performing at the highest level possible. This is known as being “in the zone,” a state of flow.

When one is in the flow, one can create more effectively.

Ideas come to you when you’re in the zone (also known as “flow”) state. You will be astounded by how potent and unexpected these results can be. If you want to be able to keep up with everything, you might find it helpful to engage a creative virtual assistant.

Conclusion

Improve the flow of your team.

It is wise to enlist a third party’s assistance to improve your company’s productivity and your staff’s coordination. Hiring a professional virtual assistant with GoVirtuals allows you to avoid the hassles and additional costs associated with human resource management (HRM) and other overhead expenses.

You can witness how successfully a virtual assistant can free up your valuable time by scheduling a discovery call, claiming your free trial, and observing how they work.