Going with the flow to optimize performance

For too long has Sport Psychology driven its efforts towards anxiety, stress, depression, anger, fear, etc. All these variables have been heavily studied. However – and in sync with the WHO’s health definition – well-being is not just the absence of illness but the presence of wellness.

In this sense, if we wish to peak performance we need to manipulate not only the negative factors but also the positive ones. Researchers have asked themselves which cognitive variables characterize an optimal mind state, one that allows for a picture-perfect competition. The most established theory is the one postulated by Csikszentmihalyi, who called it: the state of flow.

State of flow: the mental state that leads to success

Csikszentmihalyi (1990) described «flow» as a mental state in which mind and body are fully intertwined. We are completely absorbed by the activity that’s being performed and we pay no mind to anything else. The environment, our inner discourse or any negative experience ceases to exist.

It can occur with any particular activity; its common theme is that it’s a «precursor to joy and it’s associated with other experiences such as fun and enjoyment.» (Jackson, 2000). A state of flow can lead to positive affect which, consequently, brings happiness.

Csikszentmihalyi described 9 dimensions in the state of flow:

• Balance between skill and challenge. Both skill and challenge must be at high levels; otherwise it will result in apathy regardless of being balanced. If the challenge outweighs perceived skill, anxiety may appear. If skill is perceived to be higher than the challenge, the individual may relax way too much or even feel bored.
• Merging of action and awareness: this is basically becoming so involved and engaged that you become one with the activity at hand, losing notion of everything else. The movements feel effortless.
• Clear goals and unambiguous feedback: when in a state of flow, goal-setting and feedback serve each other in a continuous cycle that energizes and directs one’s actions. The feeling is that the course of action becomes crystal clear in the athlete’s mind.
• Total concentration on the task at hand: often our minds navigate through many different thought processes while performing any activity. To attain optimal performance, it’s paramount that we remain laser-focused on every aspect regarding the task. When in flow, this concentration occurs unconsciously.
• Sense of control: athletes experience a complete sense of control over their actions. This doesn’t mean that everything they’re doing is perfect. It’s more like a general notion that they will ultimately succeed, being able to perform without fear of failure (Jackson, 2000)
• Loss of self-conscience: as previously mentioned, athletes lose track of internal dialogue revolving around negativity, self-doubt, inadequacy or what-have-you.
• Transcendence of time: you know how they say that time flies when you’re having a good time? Well, same happens with the state of flow. You’re so consumed in the activity that perception of time becomes a blur and what felt like 5 minutes was actually an hour.
• Autotelic experience: Csikszentmihalyi coined this term by uniting two Greek words: auto (self) and telos (goal). What he refers to is an activity that is done because it provides its own reward: enjoyment.

How to reach the state of flow

In relation to sport, flow has been described as a major enhancer for performance since it’s deeply related to high intrinsic motivation, absence of negative self-talk and total focus on the activity at hand. As we’ve seen in previous posts, these are main ingredients for success in sports.

However, reaching the state of flow is something that comes naturally to certain individuals (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997) but may take some time for others. The key is to discover what variables predict its appearance and how we can create situations where flow can show up naturally.

1. Work on intrinsic motivation

Murcia, Gimeno & Coll (2006) studied the relationship between motivation and states of flow using the Self-Determination Theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000) as a theoretical framework. They replicated findings from other studies that related intrinsic motivation with the presence of state of flow: ergo, internal motivation can predict states of flow in athletes.

2. The role of athlete engagement and needs satisfaction

Going back to Self-Determination Theory, the premise is that humans have basic psychological needs for autonomy (perception of self-directedness), competence (ability to succeed in one’s sport), and relatedness (sense of belonging with teammates and coaches alike), which must be satisfied to experience optimal well-being, i.e., engagement, flow, …

Hodge, Lansdale & Jackson (2009) defined athlete engagement as «an enduring, relatively stable sport experience, which refers to generalized positive affect and cognitions about one’s sport as a whole». For further understanding of this concept, engagement can be considered an effective method to prevent burnout in athletes.

Both these concepts work together in an interesting fashion. Firstly, needs satisfaction predicts athlete engagement and both needs satisfaction and athlete engagement predict dispositional flow (Hodge, Lonsdale & Jackson, 2009). So, in order to facilitate the appearance of flow we must begin to impulse our sense of autonomy, competence and relatedness in order to increase engagement in our sport.

3. Create opportunity

Last but not least, we must put yourself in situations where states of flow can arise spontaneously.

• According to the flow characteristics we’ve just learned, we know that the task must be challenging enough that you have to bring your A-game.
• We also know that clear goals and objective feedback are a «must»; give the workout a proper purpose! Don’t just write down a few movements in whatever rep scheme and let it rip with no further reasoning.
• Know your why! Keep in mind that intrinsic motivation is key when developing states of flow. Josh Bridges said it best: «(the daily grind) if you don’t continue to enjoy it and have fun with it, you’re gonna go away really quickly».

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow. New York: Harper and Row.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Finding flow. New York: Basic.
Hodge, K., Lonsdale, C., & Jackson, S. A. (2009). Athlete engagement in elite sport: An exploratory investigation of antecedents and consequences. The Sport Psychologist, 23(2), 186-202.
Jackson, S. A. (2000). Joy, fun, and flow state in sport. Emotions in sport, 135-155.
Murcia, J. A. M., Gimeno, E. C., & Coll, D. G. C. (2006). Motivación autodeterminada y flujo disposicional en el deporte. Anales de Psicología, 22(2), 310-317.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American psychologist, 55(1), 68.