He called it ESM – Experience Sampling Method.Ĭsíkszentmihályi interviewed various artists, musicians, athletes, and others to understand what causes them to go into the flow state. They had some participants answer a series of questions before, during, and after the flow. They used the metaphor of water flowing, and the current carries everything along.Ĭsíkszentmihályi and other researchers began studying this remarkable phenomenon experienced by artists who would forget even to have their food, water, or go to sleep. He called it so because that’s how many people had described their mental state when they were fully absorbed in an activity. Hungarian-American psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi first described the flow model in 1975. For example, the phenomenon manifests with activities like sports, reading a novel, learning something new, or routine office tasks.Īnd yes, the theory that explains all about flow is called flow theory. Even though flow experience is usually associated with creative arts like dancing, singing, painting, drawing, and writing, it is not uncommon for people in other pursuits to experience the state of the flow. People in the flow are highly productive during that stage, irrespective of the level of challenge. Such is their intrinsic motivation that they don’t succumb to distractions. People in the “flow” continue to perform their work and stay in an enjoyable state for as long as it would last. “Flow” is a mental state experienced by people when they are entirely immersed or involved in their activity that nothing else matters during that period. How to implement flow theory in projects and business operations?.Why is it important to understand the flow theory for businesses?.What is Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory?.

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