The Benefits of Flow Activities

Can you remember a day where things just seemed to come together? You woke up feeling good, your activities all went to plan, and you felt like you were really “in the flow”. We all love days like that.

An activity that helps you flow -- to be in a state of mind so focussed that you are actually immersed in what you are doing and the rest of the world falls away – is a flow activity and it’s good for you.

For Janice of Team Solve a flow activity is when she’s looking at photos of a favourite trip and she gets lost in reliving memorable travel. For Ric of Team Solve it’s when he’s sailing. Other flow activities, like running, writing, meditating, baking, sketching, or gardening, are so good for your mind because it gives it a chance to have a break from worry or boredom or anxiety or pain. You can see that, compared to a bad habit like procrastinating or automatic eating, a habit of flow activities is actively doing you good. Often our “in the flow” days can feel like they are few and far between as we face demanding schedules, complicated relationships and not enough time for ourselves.

Here are some other flow activities that add a positive note to your lifestyle:

• Positive affirmations – focus on the positive energy rather than the negative energy. Your daily Solve puzzle ritual is an enjoyable flow activity that helps push you through challenging days
• Morning music playlist – start your day with quiet meditative music or sing along to favourites, sometimes nature sounds allow your mind to focus
• Breathe and meditate – calm your body and mind. If you enjoy meditating, make it a habit
• Keep a journal – use a journal to write down what is streaming through your head, writing can be healing and worthwhile
• Plan ahead – set realistic goals for yourself. A basic structure to your day reduces needless worry about making decisions around what to do next. This can set your day up for success rather than conflict
• Self-reflection – this daily habit helps reduce the burden of anxiety and allows you to focus on important matters and commitments

Team Solve encourages you to take a bit of time each day for your Solve puzzle ritual to reduce stress and increase flow. Team Solve believes that a daily puzzle ritual is part of a healthy lifestyle.