Flow State

The alarm chimes bright and early, 6:20 am. I take a moment to stretch and scroll through my to-do list for the day. As if right on cue, I see that it’s chore day, with some of my least favorite tasks listed: Laundry Dishes Clean the floors.

Some days, like today, I have zero motivation to do chores. They are not exciting and do NOT bring me joy! Anytime I start the day with these feelings, I understand that all I’ll be doing is struggling to complete tasks related to keeping house.

I reluctantly get up, get dressed, and start my morning coffee. I measure out the beans, grind them, replace the filter, fill up the water reservoir, and switch the brew button “ON.” Rituals have a funny way of bringing me comfort and peace, helping me work through any weird feelings this morning.

Five minutes later, the coffee aroma envelops my senses, signaling to my brain that I will complete my chores today, among other things I find much more appealing.

I need to set the stage to optimize that state of mind for things to happen. Where will I be working? Who will be around me during the day? How will I structure my time to benefit myself and accomplish today’s tasks? What tricks are there to help me with chores?

The brain is fickle. We can be interested in many different things, often changing at whim. The ADHD brain is explicitly motivated by dopamine releases in novelty, specific interest, and impulsivity. Does this lend itself to the randomization of tasks and poor follow-through? Perhaps. So how can we trick our brains into working on seemingly tedious and unmotivating tasks like laundry and chores?

We must find our “flow” or get “in the zone.”
Positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi defines flow as the experience of being so absorbed by a task or sequence of tasks that you lose the concept of time, release any self-consciousness, and maintain attention for long periods.

This is great, but how do you find your flow when you dread the tasks you face? The laundry could not be less appealing and exciting to lose myself in.

The ADHD brain is explicitly motivated by dopamine releases in novelty, specific interest, and impulsivity

To achieve a flow state, I use these five steps:

My goals must be crystal clear
If I keep my goal ambiguous, without any way to measure it, then I’ll have a slim to zero chance of achieving the ease of a flow state when working on my chores.

Inject a bit of competition
This is where I find gamifying my chores to be motivating. If I can achieve a task within a specific time frame with the help of a timer or during ads between my favorite show, then I will be more successful in reaching a flow state.

Create time-boxes for focus
I deliberately time-box or time block my schedule so I know I’ll be working on specific tasks. Regarding my chores, I’ll choose a day of the week when I have minimal commitments and can approach my tasks clearly without distractions.

Put away the phone
In another room. Seriously. The unlimited stimulation and distraction from having the internet in my pocket can be the most significant source of brain drain, keeping me from getting into and STAYING in a flow state. I’ll put it on the charger and forget about it.

Lean into my rituals
Earlier, when describing my coffee-making morning ritual, I mentioned how the aroma of coffee signaled to my brain that I would be actively working on my chores and work for the day. I also use lo-fi music with no recognizable tunes to enter my flow state. Rituals are a powerful but grossly under-appreciated part of achieving a flow state.

When I feel like I can’t get anything done, I lean heavily into these steps to make progress on my tasks.

Achieving a flow state isn’t just reserved for boring things like chores or working on projects. So, how can I use channeling to be more creative?

Flow makes me feel more alive, connected, and creative as I cultivate intrinsic motivation through my special interests. The more opportunities I give myself to get in the zone, the greater feelings of accomplishment and joy I can have. With my ADHD brain, this may look like diving into deep rabbit holes, researching, creating, and learning. I’ve always described myself as a sponge, soaking up goodness and knowledge from the world around me. Flow state permits me to do just that.

When in the zone, I’ll happily type away at my computer. I’ll write, creating webs of words and information in my head. I’ll drop those seemingly unrelated ideas and thoughts into my journal, weaving them into stories. From there, I’ll take a story or concept and create something visually appealing, having fun exploring colors and design and expanding my educational repertoire on a particular topic. I’ll bob my head, tap my foot, and sway from side to side with my favorite music. I’ll include a timer to remind me to drink water. If I don’t do this, I can easily forget to hydrate!

Before I realize it, two or three hours have passed, and I’ve been highly focused on my creative endeavor of the day.

This is flow. This is the freedom to ride that wave of deep connection and creativity until it reaches the shore. The waves ebb and flow, ebb and flow. Some days we have set the stage for achieving a flow state, and we are exploding with energy and enthusiasm to dive right in and catch the wave. Other times, we must work more through our rituals, setting goals, and time-boxing to get there.

The effort is well worth it as the essence of our flow reveals how intentionality can make it much easier to catch the wave.

So I’ll enjoy my coffee, set up my lo-fi playlist, and fold my laundry. I’m looking forward to deep-diving into my latest creative endeavor once it is all folded and put away.

Thanks for reading,
Izzie