flow state

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a mental state of complete absorption, effortless concentration, and energised focus in which a person is fully immersed in an activity that presents a perfect match between the challenge level and their skill level; first described and named by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his landmark 1990 book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience; characterised by a distorted sense of time, loss of self-consciousness, intrinsic motivation, and a sense of effortless control; experienced by athletes, musicians, artists, surgeons, programmers, and others in peak performance states; considered a key component of subjective wellbeing and a goal of positive psychological design in education and work