How Minimalism Improves ‘Flow’

Hazelle

The term ‘flow’ is popular in the realm of positive psychology, which describes a state of mind in which a person is totally immersed in an activity. We may be familiar in saying that we are ‘in the zone’, and find ourselves having peak focus and productivity, producing quality work during this period of time. Some days, we may find it easier to get into this flow state, while at other times we do not. However, did you know that minimalism can help you to achieve a state of flow more easily?

1. Easily identify what factors lead to this state

Achieving a flow state varies from person to person and we have to try and identify what exactly brings us towards it. When we practice minimalism, we are letting ourselves be mindful of our body and mind’s reactions to the environment that we are in. It could be the combined effect of various things such as temperature, sounds, light, set-up of the workspace and so on. From there, we can more easily pick out what works and what doesn’t when we want to perform at our best!

2. Less clutter, fewer distractions

Here, minimalism exemplifies the concept of ‘less is more’ — living in a clutter-free space will help you to achieve more in terms of focus and productivity. Suppose achieving flow is possible by flipping a combination of switches; minimalism then helps you to remove all faulty switches that act as decoys and distractions. By surrounding ourselves with only the items that are essential, we are setting ourselves up for this state of flow and weed out potential hindrances.

3. Amplify positive feelings

Minimalism ultimately provides you with a sense of direction, purpose, and fulfilment, which is why so many people are choosing to practice it today! As such, the positive effects that minimalism has on your mental wellbeing will translate into the innate motivations and drive needed to find your state of flow to complete any task.

It may come as no surprise how closely linked the concepts of flow and minimalism are to each other, seeing how they are foundationally aimed at raising one’s quality of life. We hope that these tips have helped you to maximise the positive effects of minimalism on a new aspect of your life!

About Hazelle

Chief trainer of The Moneyball Investors Playbook program and founder of The Joyful Investors, a financial education firm that seeks to help avid investors learn to invest better and make the journey a joyful one. I graduated with a first class honors in Bachelor of Accountancy from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and started my auditing career in one of the Big Four. I believe that once we know how to build our wealth sustainably, we can then live our best lives ever.