Being in the flow of focus time

Control of consciousness determines the quality of life.

– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

As I write this week’s newsletter, which is about the next item on our Health Mind Platter, Focus Time, I’m stuck in a loop of confusion and anxiety.

I’m travelling to Sydney later today which means that there are lots of things that need to be done to make this happen such as packing my bags (once I’ve determined the expected weather in Sydney), check house matters – bins out, ensure my dog will be looked after, finalise work matters, attend to last minute emails etc etc…….and I need to write this newsletter which requires focus.

I don’t know where to start on my list and my anxiety levels are increasing because I don’t want to miss my plane.  Also, I want everything completed…… to my best standard of course.

Oh! There is an email that has come in.  I better check.  It might be something important.

Modern living and technology has made connectivity more immediate and intricate than ever.  This has increased the expectations placed on us and added a layer of immediacy to our lives that fragments time as I have illustrated with my current situation.

However, our minds are not built for multitasking (sorry women readers to burst your bubble).  If you want a sense of a mastery and completion, then it is necessary to pay attention to one task at a time.  We need focus time.  This allows us to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed and incomplete which can often be the outcome of multitasking.

Focus time can lead to a sense of flow or being in the zone of total engagement – a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity that you are undertaking.  In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting loss in one’s sense of space and time.

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1975 named this concept and developed the diagram shown.

Paying attention to one task at a time with full focus not only improves performance but increases our sense of positivity when we experience this sense of flow.

As I said earlier, our modern connected living interrupts attention so it is necessary to take steps to create focus time.

In my case, I have turned off all email notifications and alerts. I open my email first thing in the morning and scan for anything urgent, deal with this and close it.  I then allocate a few hours for my big projects such as writing this newsletter so that I have good quality focus time.

Mornings are my best time for creativity and maximum focus, so I try to utilise this time for the tasks that require my optimum mental power.

I then have a mental break so I’m ready to answer emails.  Attending to emails surprisingly requires lots of mental power.  We think because its quick that its easy.  However, with most emails, we need to be thinking about the person we are corresponding with and understanding the intention of what we are writing for that person.  Conflicts can be created with a quick off-the-cuff email.

Take some time to work out the best time in the day for your focus time and find ways to maintain attention and flow for that time.

You will discover improved performance and positivity – a good recipe for mental health and dealing with the present-day saber tooth tiger.

For parents with young children, finding a block of time might be challenging. Unfortunately, it might be at night once they are asleep. See how you go.

I’m heading back to my list and I will try to stick to one task at a time so that I make that plane.  Wish me luck!