Going With the Flow

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi is somewhat of a Godfather of Flow. The Hungarian-American psychologist has published many books detailing what many experience as a ‘state of complete immersion’. Csíkszentmihályi believes that not only are at their most productive when in a state of flow, but also at their happiest; we are completely focused on whatever is demanding our attention and nothing else seems to matter.

“[Flow is] being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” Csíkszentmihályi said in a 1996 interview with Wired magazine.

Flow is essentially ‘being in the zone’, not being distracted or occupied by anything other than the task at hand. This an experience that most people can attest to feeling at some point within their lives; perhaps some of us find that more common in places of work and school. What some of us may not realise, however, is the diverse range of situations where the feeling of flow can manifest within us.

A great example of flow is within sports; some of the greatest sporting performances ever seen came from athletes being in a deep, unshakable state of flow. Following the 2006 FA Cup Final between Liverpool and West Ham, Steven Gerrard remarked on his now infamous equalizing goal by saying, ‘As soon as I saw it falling, I wasn’t thinking of anyone else. I was hitting it.’

But, as mentioned before, perhaps the most common collective experience of achieving flow is found within the workplace. Reaching that state of complete and total absorption with the task at hand, to the point that everything outside of completing it seems irrelevant.

In the office, however, flow can often be difficult to achieve due to many external factors; trying to reach a state of complete immersion can be difficult amidst several other people making noise. This is why a prime example of achieving flow in a school environment, for example is exam season. Studying in quiet areas, being focused on one source of academic material and, of course, undergoing the exam in the required complete silence all allow for a person to get entirely within their zone.

These kinds of working conditions are not always readily available in the workplace. For a multitude of reasons, working environments require a level of noise and activity that can make working difficult, frustrating and, overall, an unproductive place to be in.

Here at Neural Harmony, our goal is to create the perfect environment for you to achieve that level of flow.

‘Neural Harmony describes what it feels like when our mental resources are optimised’ said Paul Chudleigh, Managing Director of Neural Harmony.

‘That amazing state where we are focused, most productive and fairly engaged with our work.’

Paul has a wealth of experience, having worked over 25 years as a psychologist in this field. In turn, Paul has worked with a number of institutions across the public and private sector, including the NHS, McDonalds and the University of Oxford. Paul’s excellent knowledge and experience in the world of psychology and applied neuroscience makes him an expert in optimising even the most challenging of working environments.

‘Our organisations of psychologists and practitioners of applied neuroscience dedicated to helping individuals, teams and organisations find and sustain neural harmony at work.’

And that is the aim of Neural Harmony summed up. Not only are we looking to find that perfect balance of all things that create a productive workplace, but we want to put in place the measures to ensure that environment is sustained. Let Neural Harmony put in the work so that you can just go with the flow.