In the zone: 5 ways to trigger flow state productivity

Can you remember the last time you were so absorbed in what you were doing that the world around you just, well, faded away?

Until pretty recently, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt like that.

Every single person I speak to – clients, friends, about productivity and managing their time tells me the same thing:

‘I STRUGGLE to focus’

‘I find it so hard to concentrate’

‘What’s happened to my god damn brain, Kat?’

We have never been more distracted, more overloaded with information and more stimulated than we are right now. Our brains are dealing with literal fire hoses of information on a minute by minute basis, and sometimes, it can feel like we’re powerless to stop it. So when you hear someone like me bangin’ on about getting into flow and becoming one with the work, you’d be forgiven for rolling your eyes a little.

This state, known as 'flow', is often touted as a secret weapon of artists and creatives. Here's the thing though – flow state ain’t just for Picasso. It's a TOTALLY underrated productivity powerhouse for anyone who wants to get their shit done and create really good quality things in the limited time they have to do it.

So, every single solo online business owner out there working in their kid’s naps or while their children are at school.

Why your flow falls flat

Many of us have tried various tactics to hit this sweet spot of productivity without much success.

Downing cup after cup of coffee might seem like a quick energy fix, but it usually leaves you with nothing but a jittery sense of anxiety about that thing you said to that Mum from drop off 5 years ago.

Beginning your day by sifting through emails can feel productive, but it’s actually, well, frankly shit house when it comes to setting your focus up for the day.

Multitasking, that popular productivity 'hack' championed by Mums or dudes who don’t want Mums to stop doing everything, more often than leads to what I call dipping your toe – messing about on a bunch of different bits and pieces without really achieving anything.

Powering through without breaks or loading up your to-do list might feel pretty boss, yet it usually only leads to burnout and it’s pretty unsustainable.

The game-changer when it comes to flow productivity

Honestly, the BIGGEST game changer for me and my clients when it comes to optimizing for flow productivity, whether I’m working on a blog post or pulling together course slides, has been reducing distraction and concentrating on improving focus, versus trying to manage time.

Time management often misses a crucial element because, honestly, it’s no longer about how much time we have. If it was, most of us wouldn’t have a business.

We’re building our businesses around our kid’s school schedules or naps or our full-time jobs. If it was about how much time we had and getting more time, NONE of us would be doing what we’re doing.

And yes, having more physical hours available to you might mean you have the luxury of being a little more relaxed when it comes to things getting in the way of your time (for example, sick days, hungover days, laptop screen of death days or Optus outages), but until you learn the skill of KNOWING what you need to do to move you where you want to go and optimise your work with this in mind, it won’t matter if you’ve got one hour a week or 48 hours a week.

We’re conditioned from years of corporate bro productivity to fill our schedules, thinking that managing every minute will lead us to ULTIMATE PRODUCTIVITY BADASS STATUS. But this approach really only leads us down that icky path of constant clock-watching, where we measure success by the hours we’ve spent on something, versus what we’ve actually done.

Here’s the thing: achieving flow isn’t about pushing harder. That’s actually the opposite of what we want to do when we think about flow.

Ever tried to just keep going when you’re exhausted? You can, for a while at least, but gradually it all becomes pretty unenjoyable and usually ends in you not getting very much done or not being happy with the things you do get done anyway. Working with your flow (or getting the things done you need to do in the time you have) is about creating the right environment and mindset for YOU to let your natural productivity flag fly. That’s it, pals. You can create a system that serves as your on-off switch when it comes to dropping straight into flow state, my friend.

5 ways to switch on your flow:

1. Designate a focused workspace: Your environment can significantly influence your ability to focus. Set up a space that's solely for work – you can light candles and shit, but ideally think about how you can make your workspace as distraction-LESS as possible.

2. Set clear, task-based (versus time-based) goals: Define the things you want to achieve in your work session. Doing this by task (rather than the amount of time you spend on something) gives you direction AND purpose, key ingredients for flow productivity.

3. Time block, but don’t get obsessive about it: Allocate a specific time slots for focused work, ideally when you KNOW you’re most likely to be able to concentrate. For example, if you’re exhausted after putting the kids to bed, don’t allocate your self a work time block when you know you’re going to be fighting the urge to snooze. Snooze first, work better the next day.

4. Reduce your stimulation before work: tune in to how things like scrolling Instagram or checking your emails leave you feeling. If these are your go-to activities before you start work, try ditching them for 5-10 minutes of meditation (you don’t have to know what you’re doing – you can literally sit in silence and take deep breaths for 5 minutes) and see how you feel. Starting out with less dopamine (and therefore in a less stimulated state) can actually help set your brain up for focus before you get into it.

5. Limit distractions: IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING, GANG… make your workspace a no-interruption zone. Make it easier for your brain. I don’t say this very often, but when it comes to distractions and your brain, don’t be a hero. You won’t pick up your phone ‘just to check’ how your last Instagram post is doing without falling into a 20 minute scroll-hole. You won’t just respond to that text. And even if you DO - all those quick interruptions are like little ice picks when it comes to chip, chip, chippin’ away at that focus. Put your phone in another room. Use website blockers. SAVE YOURSELVES.

Remember, everyone's flow state triggers are different. What works for one might not work for another. Experiment with these techniques, tweak them, mix them up – find what works best for YOU. And when you find that flow, no matter how small the window is - you’ll feel like you’ve won the day whether you’ve spent 10 minutes or 5 hours in it. No bro productivity needed.