Leisure time is a valuable resource for many of the world’s busy people. Taking a break for everyone, no matter what profession you have or what your career choices are. In order to reduce stress levels and reach a long-lasting sense of satisfaction, research has shown that in your spare time it is necessary to enter a “state of flow”.
The Flow activities are the ones that your brain is so comfortable with and so at ease with that they make you forget the outside world. They challenge you in a way that just exceeds your current abilities and requires such deep involvement that you forget about the passing of time. Flow is often, more commonly, referred to as being in the zone. It’s all about putting your thinking aside and letting the body act on its own.
Finding your flow is all about being in the right environment and doing an activity that you care about. It can be doing yoga, cooking, trekking, painting or playing the piano. Even a simple task like knitting or filing taxes can induce flow if your skills match up correctly. Finding a task that is balanced enough to match up with your skills can be difficult but once you have figured out what your mind requires it will be easier to find new ones. It should be challenging enough that your brain forces you into hyper-focus to complete it but never be so challenging that it causes you stress.
Research has even shown that when entering the flow state, breathing deepens and the heart rate slows down. This is one of the reasons why it might help with reducing your stress levels. Always do your best and work hard, but use the flow as a tool to make your business- and personal life easier.