“Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi is one of the pioneers in the research of flow. In his book Flow (1990), he describes flow as being consciously in inner harmony with whatever you’re doing. He contends that happiness connects to our ability to feel the flow in our lives and that it must be cultivated and practiced. At times, however, flow occurs by chance when certain experiences converge.
For example, you might be at a dinner party and strike up a conversation with someone and find that you have a common interest, which leads you to get together for lunch, which turns into a joint business venture. This is a merging of action and a state of awareness. Being open-minded and being a good listener is an important aspect of being in the flow.
One symptom of being in the flow is losing track of time. It feels as if you’re floating and sinking into the moment. It’s almost a trance-like state.
Going with the flow means accepting what is happening in the now and not trying to manipulate or change situations. A flow mindset is to sit back and allow things to unfold as they’re meant to. If you sit back and just allow things to happen, you will not only be going with the flow but you’ll also be surprised by how everything falls into place in a less stressful manner.
Detachment from the reality of our normal daily routines has become more and more difficult, especially in view of our seemingly unbreakable connection to modern technology, but at the same time, separation is so essential for our mental well-being.
Some ways to get into the flow: 
- Take a break from technology, such as cell phones, computers, and TVs.
- Find something that brings you pleasure and concentrate on it.
- Enjoy the journey of your project, work, or conversation, rather than thinking about the destination or final product.
- Refrain from attaching yourself to negative thoughts.
- Stay in a situation or with a project until you feel in your heart that it’s finished.
And, when you do eventually feel as if you’re in the flow, I recommend journaling about what you’re feeling.”
psychologytoday.com, How To Be In The Flow, Diana Raab Ph.D.
