Leadership and innovation coach Tanja Yardley breaks down the most important ingredients for achieving flow state to help with planning and organizing, decision making, and executing tasks. What exactly is flow state, and why does it matter in innovation? Find out here.
Episode Transcript
There are some great ways to improve your sense of flow and to increase the likelihood you’ll get into that mental state. Flow is really important for planning and organizing, decision making, and executing on tasks. One of the most important ingredients to the flow state is hydration of the brain. One of the most important ingredients for flow state is hydration—period. When your brain is dehydrated, it feels foggy and it’s more difficult to think and have clarity. The other important thing to consider is your level of alertness. Did you know, for example, that when you’re looking down at your computer screen or at a piece of paper on the table, your eyes will tilt forward slightly, your lids will close a bit, and you will naturally feel more sleepy and less alert. Focused flow really requires a high level of alertness, so make sure that you position whatever it is that you are working on, higher in your visual field so that your eyes are wide open and your head is slightly tilted up. That will help you get into the right state of mind. The other important consideration is no big meals right before detailed-focused flow work. As soon as you eat a big meal, your blood flow is diverted away from your brain and it results in an inability to really tap into the parts of your brain that are necessary to be in the flow state. So, it’s important to consider that.
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