"The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times . . .
The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits
in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

~Csikszentmihalyi, 1990

We rounded the corner of July - and for many, this means starting to refocus some attention on the start of the 2022-2023 school year. For us at ResEd, it also means getting ready to launch our updated work from the summer to help educators become more confident and competent in integrating social emotional learning. 

For the last few weeks, some of us at ResEd have been participating in a weekly book study with our friends at Swivl to discuss Csikszentmihalyi’s book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Swivl has been studying how to leverage focus in the classroom for an optimal learning experience for students. They have even created a free app called Focusable based on neuroscience to “develop focus, aim for flow.”  

Originating from the research of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow refers to being absorbed in a challenging but doable task; in lay terms, being “in the zone.” This research is gaining traction in current educational writings relating Flow to an optimal learning experience.

Czikszentmihalyi’s research was featured in the following Positive Psychology article, 8 Characteristics of Flow According to Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi. In the article, author Mike Oppland, discusses what Flow is and how to cultivate it. 

“Csikszentmihalyi’s studies led him to conclude that happiness is an internal state of being, not an external one. His popular 1990 book is based on the premise that happiness levels can be shifted by introducing Flow… Beyond each person’s set point of happiness, there is a level of happiness over which each individual has some degree of control. Through research, Csikszentmihalyi began to understand that people were most creative, productive, and happy when they were in a state of Flow… There are eight characteristics of Flow:

1.  Complete concentration on the task;
2.  Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;
3.  Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
4.  Experience is intrinsically rewarding;
5.  Effortlessness and ease;
6.  Balance between challenge and skills;
7.  Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination;
8.  Feeling of control over the task.”

Listen to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discuss Flow: The Secret to Happiness in his 2004 TED Talk.

As educators, the question becomes, “how do we create optimal learning experiences that allow our students to be in a state of Flow?”

• In What is the Optimal Learning Experience, Swivl authors describe Flow as “not a once-in-a-lifetime experience—we’ve actually all felt it before. It is that feeling of being totally immersed in an activity, where time seems to disappear, and your brain is suddenly working at peak performance. It might even seem like you go into autopilot—something you often feel when playing video games—when in fact, it is a highly-active, open state of mind. It is worth noting that it is a deeply positive experience—described as the ideal embodiment of the pursuit of happiness.
  
  Neuroscience research has attempted to identify what it means to ‘set the conditions for Flow in education.’'
  
  But, how is SEL related to Flow?
  
  In another blog post, Setting the Conditions, the authors continue to share that “through smaller steps and thus smaller goals, you can leverage your dopamine positively and avoid big depressive drops when things don’t work out in the results. Thus, taking small steps is the key to getting started. Then integrating regular, individualized, proven self-regulation activities (i.e., SEL) with reflection is required for students to learn how to manage their anxiety and stress and eventually find their focus. This series of steps, if done right, has the potential to teach the skill of focus – an incredibly exciting possibility in and of itself.”
  
  (Image below from Focusable blog post.)

•  The Greater Good Magazine at UC Berkley offers these Eight Tips for Fostering Flow in the Classroom:
  • Challenge kids—but not too much.
  • Make assignments feel relevant to students’ lives. 
  • Encourage choice.
  • Set clear goals (and give feedback along the way).
  • Build positive relationships.
  • Foster deep concentration.
  • Offer hands-on exercises. 
  • Make ‘em laugh.

•  And finally, one of my favorite educators, John Spencer, shares Five Ways to Boost Student Engagement with  Flow Theory.

I’ve been thinking about the few times that I’ve experienced Flow - and have been pondering what happened before then to set those conditions so I can purposefully recreate it.

We’d love to know when you’ve experienced Flow - and to learn more about what conditions were set to allow to you reach that state. Please share and tag us on social media (Twitter & Instagram) so we can learn together! 

Yours In SEL,

Krista and the Resonance Ed Team