In July 2019, a young 19-year-old became . With no ropes to help him, George King took a mere 45 minutes to scale the 310-metre skyscraper. As a passionate climber since he was young with an aspiration to climb the Shard, he researched the building for several months to determine how to tackle it. After becoming a viral sensation, : 鈥淪eeing how much our bodies and minds are really capable of doing when everything鈥檚 firing at once 鈥 the endorphins, the adrenaline, the serotonin 鈥 to optimise your survival, that feeling is truly profound.鈥
In (the study of what makes life worth living), George鈥檚 deep level of concentration while climbing and intense feeling of accomplishment to achieve this act would be classed as . Sometimes described as being 鈥榠n the zone鈥, Flow is defined as a state of 鈥榦ptimal experience鈥 where a person is so immersed in performing an activity with an energised focus that they lose their sense of time and forget their own surroundings. In line with the growing popularity of mindfulness and wellbeing as a lifestyle trend, doing experiential activities that result in a state of Flow is emerging as a new way to seek personal fulfilment.
To achieve Flow, it鈥檚 important to take part in a challenge or task that isn鈥檛 too easy or too difficult. A task that is too easy results in boredom and difficult tasks can lead to demoralisation. Finding Flow requires certain conditions such as having a set of clear goals and a task that has immediate feedback so that you can adapt to changing demands and adjust your performance. 聽There also has to be a balance between how challenging you think the task is and your perceived skills. . At work, it鈥檚 linked to productivity, motivation and company loyalty. In combination with being creative, it makes for a powerful life-enhancing tool as creativity has also been proven to decrease depression as well as
This idea has been known for thousands of years with the same concepts appearing in some non-Western religions, for example, practising under Japanese Zen Buddhism and in some yogic practices. The term Flow was more formally coined by the psychologist 聽in 1975. As a child in the Second World War he was put in an Italian prison. Later, in his academic research, he became curious about the artists, musicians and writers, who would just create with no desire for fame or fortune. These creatives would get so lost in their work that they would forget any outside influences while they were painting, making music or writing. It made Cs铆kszentmih谩lyi realise that happiness came from within. , 鈥淎 person can make himself happy, or miserable, regardless of what is actually happening 鈥榦utside,鈥 just by changing the contents of consciousness.鈥
In recent years, we鈥檝e realised the importance of having experiences over amassing material goods and than ever before. There鈥檚 also been a significant turn towards mindfulness as we try to escape information overload and the negative comparison trap that comes from following other people鈥檚 social media updates. Taking part in activities that offer personal challenges give us a chance to escape from the distractions of the outside world. Achieving Flow through these experiences also offers our inner selves a sense of achievement and personal fulfilment. , George King said he wanted to 鈥渋nspire people to chase their dreams鈥o find something unique if it’s music, art, craft, whatever it is, to pursue it with excellence and to have a dream.鈥 Achieving Flow is a chance to re-appropriate your personal time and improve your mental wellbeing by setting your own boundaries and challenges. Luckily, it鈥檚 not essential to put yourself in a death-defying situation to achieve a state of Flow or pursue excellence.
Do you think Flow could be something your audience will resonate with? If you’re thinking about conveying Flow, check out our curated lightbox to get a headstart.