“I’m in the flow” - oh, what a beautiful phrase! Everyone has heard it, at least in a fashionable song of 2021. But not everyone knows where the phrase grows from. And they grow from a completely scientific theory. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is an American psychologist with a Hungarian surname, known for his Flow theory. He spoke about it in detail in his book, which he wrote 34 years ago. Csikszentmihalyi studied happiness and came to the conclusion that people feel the happiest in the so-called state of flow. How do you understand that you are in a flow? People experiencing flow describe it as a special state of mind when internal harmony reigns in the mind, when this or that activity becomes interesting in itself. Regardless of the importance of the result standing somewhere at the end. You fully concentrate on the task. You see the goal, give yourself feedback and mentally reward yourself. You feel that time is speeding up or slowing down. You understand that experience is valuable in itself, and you do not strive to achieve at any cost goals. You complete the task easily and naturally, without forcing yourself. For you, the task is interesting enough to look for a solution, but feasible, given your skills. You are completely immersed in completing the task, conscious thinking is lost. You feel that you can complete this task and are in control Philosophers, sages, psychologists and others have been arguing for many centuries about what happiness is. Often people treat happiness as some kind of rare phenomenon that must be earned and which appears only if you work hard. Csikszentmihalyi states: happiness is an internal state that can be cultivated and needs to be protected. We perceive life under the influence of various external and internal forces that shape our experiences. If we control our emotions and actions, then we show a special feeling - joy and inspiration from mastery over our destiny. This experience is very similar to what we are used to calling happiness. The author of the book “Flow. The Psychology of Optimal Experience” is confident that in order to become a multifaceted and happy person, a person must learn to control his mental energy. And spend it on achieving conscious and chosen goals. That is, to finally learn to manage your life. Learn to get into the flow. Why is the state of flow important? Not only because it allows us to receive joy from the activities we engage in. It strengthens our self-confidence. And achieve something. There are two strategies to improve your life. Right away, using an example: safety is an important component of happiness. Strategy 1. Adjust external conditions to suit your goals. If you follow this strategy, you can increase your sense of security by locking yourself at home. don’t go anywhere, install a more secure lock, move to a remote village where drones don’t fly. Strategy 2. Change your perception of external conditions so that they better suit your goals. Change the understanding of security, for example. If we accept that some risk is inevitable and learn to enjoy the unpredictable world (in a positive way, of course), then thoughts of threats will not poison our lives. Csikszentmihalyi introduces the term autotelic - from the Greek. "auto" is itself and "telos" is the goal. That is, this is an activity that is performed not for the sake of reward, but for its own sake. And autotelic experience raises a person’s personality to a qualitatively different level. Interestingly, according to Csikszentmihalyi’s theory, the state of flow can be addictive. Do you think the state of flow is always about goodness, goodness? But no! There are no 100% positive phenomena; optimal energy can also be used both for good and vice versa. Military veterans often describe their war experiences as a state of flow. The Marquis De Sade turned the infliction of pain into a form of pleasure. Robert Oppenheimer, who created the atomic bomb, called his problem his “favorite problem” and was also in the flowin progress. How did the phrase from the popular song of 2021 “I’m in the flow, I’m in the moment” play out in this light? :) Therefore, Flow itself is a strong motivating factor, but it does not guarantee the virtue of those who experience it. Is everyone equally capable control your consciousness and experience the state of flow? No, not everyone. There are people who cannot experience the state of flow due to mental characteristics. For example, these are patients with schizophrenia. There are also innate genetic characteristics of temperament that are responsible for the ability to concentrate mental energy. Another reason is excessive concentration on oneself (“What will they think of me?” - such anxiety has no time for flow) and pronounced egocentrism. Egocentric people usually do not have developed self-awareness; for them, nothing is of value in itself. Except for themselves. Parental family also influences the ability to be in the flow in adulthood. There is a so-called autotelic family context that develops in children the ability to enjoy life. Most children are autotelic from birth. They are very curious, love to learn new things, and often look for challenges. They play a lot, which in itself is a great source of Flow. But every year children are given more and more goals imposed from outside. Under these external pressures, over time it becomes difficult for children to understand who they are and what they really want from life. So, for your children to be happy, the following is necessary: ​​Clarity. Clear goals and regular constructive feedback Engagement. Parents should be interested in the child's needs and interests. The right to choose. But it is important that children understand the consequences of their decisions and bear responsibility. Confidence. This gives a feeling of protection, security and means you can immerse yourself in interesting activities. Tasks. They should always be, they should be achievable for children, but constantly become more complex - so that there is development. The ability to enter a state of flow is something that can help a person survive in unbearable conditions. When we are threatened by hostile circumstances, it is necessary to restore a sense of control over the situation by finding a new direction for our psychic energy - a direction that is not subject to external forces. Even if all your usual desires are suppressed, you need to strive for a meaningful goal in order to streamline your consciousness. I immediately remember the book and experience of V. Frankl (“Say Yes to Life..”). Csikszentmihaly gives examples of Solzhenitsyn - in conclusion. Admiral Byrd, who survived at the South Pole, Charles Lindbergh and his transatlantic flight and others. All survivors had one thing in common - the presence of an important goal that stood above personal interests. Inner motivation made them persistent. When the outside world knows no pity, salvation comes from the inner world. Anyone who is able to organize consciousness receives a huge advantage. In conditions unbearable for humans, mathematicians, musicians, historians saved themselves and others by creating islands of common sense in a sea of ​​chaos. What stimulates the ability to enter a state of flow? Many people have graduated from school or university stop studying. But Csikszentmihalyi believes that a person who neglects to use his thinking abilities will never achieve true freedom. His thinking will be influenced by other people's opinions, information from newspapers, and television. And also social networks. Such a person will live at the mercy of the experts. The state of flow can be not only during pleasant activities. It may appear during operation. And such work will be super effective. Flow can manifest itself in relationships within the family. So, let's summarize. Flow theory is interesting and deep. She can find answers to difficult questions for many people. Especially in connection with recent events. We read it at the Online Psychological Book Club. And one of the participants said: “You know, while reading the book, I realized that I am a happy person!” We recommend it! :) We invite you to our Club! Meet online 2 times a month, read offline, discuss online. Club Moderator –