絕對沒有什么能夠和“心流”相提并論。所謂“心流”是指當你全身心投入一件事情時，你所呈現(xiàn)出的精力充沛、高度專注的狀態(tài)。你曾體會過這種狀態(tài)嗎？全神貫注地工作，抬起頭時發(fā)現(xiàn)時光飛逝。那是一種全身心投入和精力高度集中的感覺。你可以稱它為心流，或者最佳表現(xiàn)或?qū)Ｐ闹轮镜取Ｆ鋵嵕褪俏覀円宰罴褷顟B(tài)投入到工作和生活之中。

芝加哥大學（University of Chicago）心理學教授米哈里?齊克森米哈里最先提出心流這一概念，并對其進行了一番研究。他相信心流是幸福的終極狀態(tài)。在《心流：一種美妙的心理狀態(tài)》（Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience）一書中，齊克森米哈里提到，在心流狀態(tài)下，工作毫不費力，你會感覺到：

? 完全沉浸于并全身心投入到正在做的事情當中

? 一種陶醉感，感覺自己超越了日常現(xiàn)實

? 內(nèi)心的純凈

? 對手頭任務充滿自信

? 一種寧靜感

? 超越了時間，幾個小時一眨眼便過去了

? 內(nèi)在激勵，即無論會產(chǎn)生什么，心流本身便是一種獎勵。

并非只有著名藝術(shù)家、作家或運動員才會進入心流狀態(tài)。人人都能做到。我們都可以學會帶著快樂的心情，懷著激情和存在感去更好地工作。但具體應該怎么做？這是一門簡單的學問，但最重要的是，為了真正進入心流，我們必須訓練自己擺脫每天包圍我們身邊的干擾因素。如果我們過度科技化，便無法進入心流狀態(tài)。這意味著我們必須學會“斷開連接”。

這當然有難度，但通過以下五種方法可以幫助你實現(xiàn)這個目標：

找出對抗點。心流不會憑空出現(xiàn)；我們必須主動尋求這種狀態(tài)，這時便會出現(xiàn)對抗點。你必須經(jīng)過努力才能進入心流狀態(tài)，必須對抗阻止我們進入心流狀態(tài)的混亂和干擾因素，包括電子郵件、短信、Facebook、Twitter、電話等。有太多因素會分散我們的注意力，讓我們避開對抗點。不要以工作繁忙為理由（如電子郵件、短信、處理所有文件等）；要處理重要的事情。安排出回復電子郵件和電話的時間。像對待其他事情一樣，安排你的心流時間。

拋開插電設(shè)備，斷開連接，放松身心。如果你能關(guān)掉電子設(shè)備，對抗的過程就會變得容易許多，而心流的一個關(guān)鍵先導因素是從緊張與壓力中解脫出來，斷開與科技和各種設(shè)備的連接，真正讓自己放松下來。在這種情況下，我們會改變大腦的運行方式，改變神經(jīng)化學狀態(tài)，改變思維方式。只有這時候我們才能進入心流狀態(tài)。所以，要從電子設(shè)備中將自己解放出來。遠離干擾。轉(zhuǎn)移注意力和精力，讓自己進入心流狀態(tài)。

活在當下。只有當你活在當下的時候才能進入心流狀態(tài)。事實上，這也是心流的本質(zhì)——完全沉浸在眼下。如果你在擔心過去或計劃未來，便很難進入心流狀態(tài)。通過設(shè)定明確的目標（“今天我想實現(xiàn)這個目標。”）和排除干擾，來提高自己進入心流狀態(tài)的可能性：關(guān)上門，關(guān)閉電話和會叮當作響的所有應答設(shè)備，告訴人們不要來打擾你。如果內(nèi)心產(chǎn)生了一種令人焦慮或緊張的想法，把它寫下來，然后放在一邊待以后再處理。最大程度地減少干擾，讓自己專注于現(xiàn)在，保持心流狀態(tài)。

接受恢復正常狀態(tài)時的驚惶感。心流會令人筋疲力盡。在心流狀態(tài)中，我們的大腦會變得瘋狂，身體中產(chǎn)生的神經(jīng)化學物質(zhì)將創(chuàng)造出高度專注、富有創(chuàng)造力、異常欣快的狀態(tài)。而這些神經(jīng)化學物質(zhì)減少之后，別指望會感覺良好。睡眠、陽光和營養(yǎng)非常重要，所以退出心流狀態(tài)之后，到陽光下去散散步，然后好好休息一下。不要因為心流狀態(tài)的結(jié)束而感到惋惜，要享受復原的過程。你的大腦需要休息。放松心情，恢復精力。否則以后將很難重新回到心流狀態(tài)。

隨時隨地進入心流狀態(tài)。事實證明，我們進入心流狀態(tài)的次數(shù)越多，就越容易進入其中。心流就像肌肉或習慣；隨著時間的推移，進入心流狀態(tài)更容易。訓練大腦進入和停留在心流狀態(tài)的次數(shù)越多，進入心流狀態(tài)也就越容易。所以，如果你希望在工作中有更多心流狀態(tài)，可以在周末多拿出時間進入心流狀態(tài)，做自己喜歡的事情，如園藝、烹飪、跳舞等。

心流是一種人人都能體驗到的狀態(tài)。我不想讓人們認為科技是邪惡的。恰恰相反；我熱愛科技（我對iPhone手機的愛僅次于我的丈夫和兒子）。但如果我們過度科技化，回復每一條信息和帖子，被電子設(shè)備分心和干擾，我們便無法進入心流狀態(tài)。只有將自己從這些電子設(shè)備中解放出來，才能進入心流狀態(tài)。

本文作者卡米爾?普勒斯頓是虛擬領(lǐng)導力專家、作家、演講家、高管教練和領(lǐng)導力培訓公司AIM Leadership的創(chuàng)始人兼CEO。此外，普雷斯頓還是《重來的決心》（The Rewired Resolution）一書的作者。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：劉進龍/汪皓

There is absolutely nothing like flow, which is that energized, hyper-focused state that you fall in when you are completely absorbed in whatever you’re doing. You’ve felt it, right? Working in such an absorbed fashion that you look up and hours have flown by. Feeling completely engaged and focused. Call it flow, peak performance, or being in the zone. It’s when we work and live at our absolute best.

The concept of flow was first noted and studied by University of Chicago psychology professor MihalyCsikszentmihalyi, who came to believe that flow is the ultimate state of happiness. In Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Csikszentmihalyi says you know you’re in flow when the work is effortless, when you feel:

? Completely immersed and engaged in what you are doing

? A sense of ecstasy, feeling outside everyday reality

? Great inner clarity

? Confidence in the task at hand

? A sense of serenity

? Timelessness, hours seem to pass in minutes

? Intrinsic motivation, meaning whatever has produced the flow is its own reward

You don’t have to be a famous artist, writer, or athlete to get in the flow. We can all get there. We can all learn to work better, with real joy, passion, and presence. How? Well, there’s a simple science to it, but the bottom line is that in order to really experience flow, we have to train ourselves to disengage from the distractions that surround us all day every day. We can’t get to flow if we’re overwired. And that means we have to learn to unwire.

It can certainly be tough, but here are five ways to help you get there:

Seek out struggle. Flow doesn’t just happen; we have to get into it, and that’s where the struggle comes in. You actually have to fight to get into flow and struggle against the myriad disruptions and distractions that prevent us from getting there — emails, texts, Facebook, Twitter, phone calls, etc. There are so many opportunities to be distracted and avoid the struggle. Don’t justify busy work (i.e. email, texts, putting all those files away, etc.); get to work on important things. Schedule a time to answer emails and phone calls. Schedule your flow time like you would anything else.

Unplug, unwire, and unwind.The struggle will be a lot less difficult if you actually disconnect, and a critical precursor to flow is taking time to unplug from the stress and strain, to unwire ourselves from our technology and devices, and to truly let ourselves unwind. When we do, we change the way our brains operate, we change our neurochemistry, and we shift the way we think. Then and only then can we enter flow. So unplug from your gadgets. Move away from the distractions. Shift your attention and energy so you can get into your flow.

Be here now.Flow only happens when you are in the present. In fact, that’s the very nature of flow—being absolutely lost in the present. If you are worrying about the past or planning for the future you won’t get in flow. Optimize your likelihood of getting in flow by setting clear goals (“Today I want to accomplish this.”) and remove distractions: Close your door, turn off your phone and all the responders that go ping and ding, tell people not to disturb you. If an anxious or stressful thought pops into your head write it down and put it aside for later. Minimize distractions so you stay in the present and stay in the flow.

Embrace the funk of recovery. Flow is draining. During flow, our brains go crazy, producing neurochemicals to create the hyperfocused, creative, expansive state. As the neurochemicals recede don’t expect to feel great. Sleep, sunshine, and nutrition are essential, so when you’re out of your flow, go for a walk in the sun and then take a rest. And rather than lamenting that the flow state has ended enjoy your period of recovery. Your brain needs the rest. Relax and rejuvenate. You won’t be able to get back into flow if you don’t.

Flow whenever and wherever you can. Turns out the more we get into flow, the easier it becomes to get there. Flow is like a muscle or habit; it gets easier over time. The more you train your brain to get into and stay in flow, the easier it becomes to get there. So if you crave more flow at work, spend more time on weekends in flow doing what you love—gardening, cooking, dancing, etc.

Flow is a state that we can all experience. I don’t want to leave the impression that technology is evil. Quite the contrary; I love technology (my love for my iPhone runs a very close third to that of my husband and son). But we can’t get into flow if we are overwired, responding to every ping, ding, and post, and distracted and disrupted by our gadgets. Only by unwiring can you go with the flow.

Camille Preston is a virtual leadership expert, author, speaker, executive coach, and the founder and CEO of AIM Leadership. Preston is also author of, The Rewired Resolution.