You know that feeling when you’re on fire and nothing can stop you?
It’s like you don’t have to think too much and you’re able to power through your day’s tasks without effort?
Most of us struggle to get to that point and procrastinate wondering how to get into flow state.
We look at social media to distract us, read unnecessary emails or anything else to take us away from getting our REAL work done.
What if you could get your mind and body into a place of flow whenever you want?
You’ll be able to tap into more creativity, feel happier doing your work, and get more done quicker! Yep, it’s possible and here’s how you’ll do it.
But first, check out the findings of this 10-year study.
McKinsey & Company is a massive consultancy firm with tens of thousands of people on their team and 90 years under their belt. They found that when top executives are in a state of “flow”, they are five times more productive than when they are not in “flow”.
Jamie Wheal, co-founder of the Flow Genome Project, says that if you were in flow when working one day per week, you could theoretically take off the rest of the week and keep pace with your competition (assuming they work the same number of hours). If we added another day of flow time at work, then you’re blowing past your competition. Pretty amazing.
Check out Jaime Wheal’s TED Talk called “Hacking the GENOME of Flow” for some interesting insights on flow and the science behind it.
So, that’s great and all, but how do you actually get into flow state whenever you want?
Powerful tips to help you get into a better flow state
Over the years, Matt and I have used a blend of, specific breathing techniques, brainwave entrainment, and hanging up our environment to tap into our optimal state of flow.
We even discussed some of the daily rituals that allow us to tap into our most productive and creative state on our podcast.
Five breathing techniques to help you get into a flow state
Many of us take very short breaths and never fill up to our full capacity.
Yes, we all do it, but most of us do it completely unconscious without noticing that we’re doing it.
It’s a shame because if you paid attention to just three deep, full breaths, then you’d feel much better.
Actually, I want you to do that right now.
Read the steps we stake and then try this for three deep, full breath cycles:
- Step 1: Breathe slowly to fill up your belly. Just fill your lower belly area with air and don’t let your upper chest and shoulders raise. Spend about 3-4 seconds filling up your belly.
- Step 2: After you maxed out your belly with air, then fill up the rest of your lungs by breathing into your upper chest and raising your shoulders. You’ll notice that you get much more capacity in your lungs this way. Spend another 3-4 seconds filling up these upper parts.
- Step 3: Hold your breath for about 2-3 seconds.
- Step 4: Let out all of your breath in about 5 seconds.
- Step 5: Repeat that for three full cycles.
Try it for yourself right now. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…
After you try this breathing technique, ask yourself the following:
- How do you feel?
- Are you a little light-headed?
- Do your muscles feel a little looser?
- Is your mind a little clearer and less cluttered?
Cool, then you’re on the right path 🙂
Doing this little exercise is perfect right when waking up when you’re starting to feel stressed, when you’re about to do a big presentation or any other time when your body is feeling tense.
This is a form of meditation and is a perfect (and quick) way to start getting your body ready for flow and thinking clearer.
If you’d like to learn about a technique that is slightly more advanced but really enhances these effects, then look into the Wim Hof Method. It’s a style of breathing that is similar but is quicker with the breathing and more cycles.
It is said that not only does it get you in a state of flow, but it helps your body fight off illnesses and brings you to an alkaline state.
Download the phone app called “Wim Hof Method” in the iPhone or Android stores and you’ll learn the entire technique and be able to track your results.
These breathing techniques are always the first thing we mention when asked about how to get into a flow state by fellow entrepreneurs.
How brainwaves affect your productivity
This has been my obsession for the last few years.
Whenever Matt and I feel like we need to hunker down and zone in on a single task (writing and creative work are usually my go-to times for this), then we put on our earbuds and listen to our brainwave tracks.
Here’s why.
When you listen to specific brainwave audio tracks with your earbuds, you are forcing your brain to get into a state of your choosing.
When you use the specific app we use (I’ll recommend it in a minute), then you can choose if you’d like to feel relaxed, creative, get a jolt of energy, and many, many more.
This is the second technique we mention when asked about how to get into a flow state.
When you listen to these audio tracks, you immediately eliminate distraction and habituation.
We all know what distractions are: baby crying, music playing while working, people talking at a coffee shop, phone beeping, etc. Habituation is actions like checking your email, looking at Facebook, getting bored with a task and not finishing it.
These are actions that are habitual and you do without thinking. These destroy your flow and creativity.
When you listen to brainwave audios while you work, your brain sort of turns off.
You forget about the things around you, you don’t care what people post on social media, and that person that just texted you can wait until you complete your task at hand.
Here’s what they are.
Without getting super technical and in the weeds, basically, there are many sound frequencies that mimic what is going on in your brain during certain times.
You have different frequencies in your brain when you’re stressed as compared to when you are feeling amazing.
With the brainwave app, you will have a combination of specific frequencies that pair up to induce the feeling of your choosing.
It basically tricks you into feeling exactly how you wish, almost immediately and is another little hack if you're wondering how to get into a flow state!
I’ve turned SO many people on to using this app. I’ll warn you now, it’s addicting and you can use it in so many ways.
If you have an iPhone, download the app called “Brain Wave – 32 Advanced Binaural Brainwave Entrainment Programs”.
It doesn’t look like they have an Android version, but if you search for the similar keywords, you’ll find something that’ll do the trick.
Pro tip: Use this app when you meditate, while you do your breathing techniques, or while you are listening to an audiobook. It completely enhances your experience.
How to get into a flow state by changing your environment
This might be more of a personality thing of mine, but I like to change up where I work often.
About 80% of the time I will use my normal office, but the rest of the time, I like to work on my big dinner table, or go outside on the patio table with my laptop, or work at a coffee shop for a few hours to write an article.
I’ve found that when I do this for creative tasks like writing articles, designing a sales funnel, or writing copy, I usually function better in new places.
I give myself a deadline to get the work done (usually two hours because of parking meters in San Diego).
This is one of my personal favorite hacks when sharing how to get into flow state for productivity.
Another thing Matt and I do is go to our co-working/shared office that we have with other marketing friends.
We use this place as our mastermind area so we can whiteboard new ideas, come up with marketing processes, and just chat.
We have all sorts of musical instruments there, so we typically jam out some tunes and drink beers. From the outward appearance, it might seem like we’re not getting much done, but these have been some of the best times to exchange ideas, get feedback from others, and just use our brains in different ways.
The key here is to get out of your normal workplace at least once per week for a number of hours.
It’ll expand your mind to new ideas, get you more zoned in with writing projects, and you’ll have more fun!
At the end of the day, make these things a habit and you’ll soon notice changes in your productivity levels (for the better) and your overall happiness will be sky high.
If you use another technique we didn't mention, feel free to reach out! We love discussing how to get into a flow state and really enjoy learning from our community.
