There are 22 known “flow triggers” to utilize to create the most productive time of our day
I love when I realize a couple hours have passed that I barely noticed because I was completely consumed with what I was working on. This is known as a flow state, best defined as effortless effort, the state in which our complete attention is in the present moment to where everything else just seems to disappear around us. It is an optimal state of mind when we feel and think our best. Surfers describe riding that perfect wave as a flow state, as chess players have described their time playing a match.
Flow triggers are essentially pre-conditions that help us generate flow. Neurochemically these triggers release dopamine and adrenaline into our system and propel our attention into the present moment. These neurochemicals allow us to have intense focus and increase awareness on a single task at hand. There are two broad categories:
1. Individual triggers- triggers that rely on our own internal map and models and
2. Group triggers- a group collective state of mind. This is basically when groups of people utilize a shared flow through collaboration.
Some of the “triggers”, or pre-conditions, overlap, however there are roughly 10 of each category.
