The Benefits of Flow

Flow experiences benefit many aspects of life. There are many psychological benefits from the flow experience itself, such as stress reduction and a greater sense of meaning in life. Flow can also increase people’s performance in activities, helping them be successful at achieving the things they value. Flow can also make many healthy activities intrinsically motivating, which can provide external benefits. When it’s used effectively, flow can increase well-being in many ways. 

Psychological benefits of flow

Flow activities can be an effective means of stress reduction by helping people to reduce worrying thoughts. Because flow experiences distract people from these worrying thoughts, flow helps them focus on the things they really care about and helps them have better moods. For example, in a study on people waiting to receive results from an important test, those who engaged in flow activities more frequently had reduced levels of stress. In another experiment, people who played tetris while waiting to have their attractiveness rated by another research participant had better moods during that stressful period of time than those who did not play tetris. Having flow experiences may be difficult during periods of stress—it’s hard to focus on an activity when there’s a lot more stuff on your mind. However, if people manage to create flow experiences while under stress, they generally cope better.

Flow experiences also help people to feel that their lives are more meaningful. Flow helps people feel empowered and capable, connecting them to something more than their normal day-to-day existence. When people have flow experiences, they push the limits of their skills and abilities, and they feel more confidence in their ability to complete tasks. In addition, people who have flow in even trivial activities find those activities meaningful and valuable, while other people may have those same experiences and not recognize flow in them. Transforming everyday experiences into flow experiences can help you feel like you’re achieving your potential, and it can help you be more satisfied with the day-to-day experiences you have in life. 

Performance increases due to flow

Flow also increases creativity and task performance (Csikszentmihalyi 1997). Flow places people in a mindset where they are focused on solving the task at hand, not on anything else. It encourages adaptation and flexibility to handle the demands of a challenging task. Businesses try to create environments in which flow is possible because it increases workplace achievement (Engeser, Rheinberg, Vollmeyer, & Bischoff, 2008). If you’re trying to increase your performance at a task, it may be helpful to adjust the task so that it is more conducive to flow.

Flow can be particularly beneficial in education—a domain where people are frequently given high levels of challenge. When people experience flow in educational contexts, they are motivated to learn and to learn better. Students who focus on short-term goals rather than long-term goals, who have a variety of challenge levels to choose from, and who have autonomy in their learning tend to experience more flow. Students that have flow experiences are more satisfied with their learning, enjoy it more, and feel that they develop more skills. Implementing flow into education can make learning better for the teacher and the learner. 

Flow as a facilitator for healthy activities

Flow can also be beneficial because it can add intrinsic motivation to activities that are healthy in other ways, encouraging participating in those activities. When people are intrinsically motivated to participate in activities, they are much more likely to repeat those activities than if they’re asked to do those activities for an external reason. For example, if you experience flow by playing racquetball to get exercise, you get the well-being boost from physical activity, and you’re more likely to repeat that activity (and thus have more well-being boosts from physical activities) than if you were to choose a physical activity less conducive to flow. If you have flow experiences while playing a board game with friends, you will want to spend more time with those friends, and you can have the benefits from frequent social relationships. Flow can make experiences intrinsically motivating, so you can reap the benefits of doing beneficial activities that you might not be motivated to do without the flow experience.

You can have too much of a good thing

However, it’s important to note that flow activities can be done in excess. It’s very possible to neglect other basic needs and responsibilities while you engage in flow activities, which may have detrimental effects on your life. For example, you may spend all your time working, which may be helpful in some aspects of your life, and you may neglect the needs of your family or your health. If you find yourself neglecting the needs of those around you, or if you find yourself unable to complete responsibilities you have, consider setting limits on your flow experiences.