Flow

How come if most of us in the developed world have ' never had it so good' it can still seem at times as if we are facing an epidemic of depression and anxiety?

The greatest happiness may come from absorbing oneself in some goal outside oneself and it is possible that one of the reasons for the reported increase in unhappiness in spite of material wealth in some cultures may be that many people are bored and have gained comfort at the price of stimulation.

Professor Mike Csikzentmihalyi has shown through extensive research that when people are engaged in challenging but controllable states that are intrinsically motivating they experience a unique psychological state which he referred to as Flow. This state in which people tyypically 'lose themselves' has been linked to increased psychological and physical well being. These are tasks which require considerable skill and complete concentration so that we become deeply engrossed with the task to the extent that we can lose track of time or of our sense of self or our normal cares and concerns. These activities are satisfying in themselves and research suggests that they are vital to our wellbeing.

We can increase the frequency of our flow experiences by engaging in tasks that challenge our skills to the limits.
How to increase Flow in everyday activites
You can find out more about Flow activities on the positivepsychology website .