The flow in peak performance

Edited by Dr. Stefano Casali

In line with the current guidelines of Positive Psychology and with the results of the most recent cross-cultural researches, which identify the driving role of the optimal experience in the individual development process, also in Sport Psychology there is a significant growth of interest in Flow. or "state of optimal experience". Within the peak moments, Flow represents the privileged way to understand the excellence of performance: focusing on it and on the conditions that underlie it, allows to outline a model for the optimization of performance, inspired by the technology of psychophysical performance, which sees its two cornerstones in the mental preparation of the athlete and in the psychological training of the technician. To have an "optimal experience, a continuous flow of concentrated attention must be achieved, therefore, an" experience is perceived as optimal by a subject when his attention is completely absorbed by the task he is carrying out. Flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) is a "pleasant experience, during which time is lost track and all that is not related to the task seems to vanish. Generally this feeling is easy to achieve with very stimulating tasks or activities, but it can become difficult to obtain in the absence of stimulation or when distractions are present. In these cases a voluntary effort is required to maintain a sufficient attentional level to carry out the task. The main characteristic of Flow is the sensation of spontaneous joy, even exaltation. that during the state of Flow the individual feels extremely good, it is an unrivaled reward. In these moments, individuals identify fully with what they are doing, attention is directed towards the task, the conscious is equal to acting. Flow is a state of self-forgetfulness, in the state of Flow, individuals are so involved in the task they are performing, that they lose awareness of themselves, forgetting small problems, health, bills to pay, even successes in life. daily. In the moments of Flow the "Ego is not there". It is paradoxical, but in the Flow state, individuals express extremely strong control over what they are doing, their reactions are in harmony with the changes and demands of the task, down to the smallest detail. Contrary to emotional tension, flow is a state that allows inspiration, a slight ecstasy. Ecstasy comes from concentration which is the basic condition for the state of Flow. During the Flow, the brain is calm, the stimulations and inhibitions of the nervous processes are in accordance with the needs of the moment. The need for the state of Flow will grow along with the perfecting of skill, because Flow presents itself in the area where individuals are inspired to fully express their talent. Those who achieve extraordinary results have developed one of the most valuable talents: to motivate themselves and the others.

But where to find the resources to fuel our motivation? The engine of motivation is always one: emotion. All theories on motivation start from emotions and the ability to dominate them in order to achieve a goal. A lack of self-control over emotions, a high level of anxiety, harms the motivational drive. external worries, bad mood or an "excessive apprehension directed at the result. On the other hand, a preventive relaxation (also at the basis of all learning and memorization techniques), an adequate level of anxiety, an "attention to the task and not to the result, a" high inclination to hope, good humor are in favor of the motivational drive. and sense of self-efficacy. In short, it is a question of placing one's mind in a particular "state". The great thing is that it is a condition that we all know very well and that we have experienced several times in our life.Who has never happened to be so concentrated in their business that they do not notice the time that has passed, or that in the meantime it has grown dark, or that they have spoken to us and we have probably also automatically answered? The studies started precisely from the "observation of the behavior of great sports champions, artists and people with particular genius. What strikes in these people is always the extraordinary ability to self-motivate and to endure very hard study and training programs. E" precisely this maximum level of concentration and self-motivation that Csikszentmihalyi has defined flow (Flow). Later the flow was considered the maximum expression of emotional intelligence (Goleman). A fundamental point of the state of "flow" is the intrinsic motivation of the subject who acts precisely for the pleasure of carrying out the action itself and not for this. that can get. The flow and all the positive states that characterize it are also the best teaching method as it is based on internal motivations and not on external obligations. All this makes us reflect on how fundamental it is to channel our emotions towards the pleasure of "doing what we do" without stubbornly setting the result or the final evaluation as a condition.