

#Flow hair athletic full
For some performers, feelings of automaticity are described, with well-learned routines enabling them to process subconsciously and pay full attention to their actions.Ĭlear goals occur in flow, with individuals describing knowing exactly what it is they are supposed to do. Often used in descriptions by people asked to discuss what it was like being in flow, perceptions of oneness with an activity bring about a sense of peace and harmony to an active engagement with a task. The action–awareness merging dimension involves a feeling of being at one with the activity being performed. Together, these nine dimensions represent the optimal psychological state of flow by themselves, they signify conceptual elements of the flow experience. The other dimensions are action–awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration on task, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, time transformation, and autotelic experience. The Dimensions of FlowĬsikszentmihalyi conceptualized the flow construct in terms of nine dimensions the first of these dimensions, challenge–skill balance, has already been described. These latter experiences are often associated with peak performance and peak experience. Micro flow experiences were proposed to fit the patterns of everyday life, whereas macro flow was reserved for experiences associated with higher levels of complexity and demand on the participant. Csikszentmihalyi categorized the different levels of flow into micro and macro flow experiences. Flow can occur at different levels of complexity but, by definition, flow is intrinsically rewarding, regardless of whether it involves a simple task, or a complicated and dangerous gymnastics routine. In flow, one is totally involved in the task at hand. That is, prediction of the experience of flow is more accurately based on what individuals perceive the levels of challenge and skills are in situations than by reference to the levels of challenges and skills that may actually exist in those situations. The perception of challenge, and of skill, is more important than any objective level of challenges or skills in flow state. When the perceived challenges are matched by a belief in having the skills to meet the challenge, the stage is set for flow to occur. The moving beyond average signifies an investment of mental energy into a task. Flow is predicted to occur when the individual moves beyond average experience of challenge and skill.

The first and perhaps most critical dimension of flow is the concept of challenge–skill balance. This definition covers several characteristics of flow, and Csikszentmihalyi has detailed the experience of flow into nine dimensions. Flow can be defined as an experience that stands out as being better than average in some way, where the individual is totally absorbed in what is being done, and where the experience is very rewarding in and of itself. When in flow, one feels strong and positive, not worried about self or failure. Flow has been identified as a key psychological construct in positive psychology, a growing field of interest in psychology, particularly with regard to positive subjective experience. In addition to the enjoyment that flow brings an individual, the experience of flow is associated with many positive psychological characteristics, and is an optimal performance state. There has been remarkable consistency in how flow has been described by individuals across diverse settings. Flow has been examined across diverse settings, from daily living to a state of mind associated with scientific discoveries. Since his initial investigations where the term flow was chosen to denote these special absorbing experiences, Csikszentmihalyi has continued a research program examining this experience. Despite such diversity in setting, there was considerable consistency of responses regarding what was felt during moments that stood out as being special in some way for the individual. The types of activities initially investigated by Csikszentmihalyi were diverse, ranging from surgery to dancing to chess and rock climbing. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi developed the flow concept in the 1970s, after investigating the experiences of individuals when everything came together during times of involvement with a chosen activity.
