Jack taking his horse back to the barn after a lesson at Il Paretaio in 2008. Author’s note: Jack would be around 25ish now. I often wonder what he is doing now. Photo credit: Judith Glick-Smith
Our senses can drop us into a flow state. Music can trigger something in you that energizes you, causing you to push forward. Likewise, some people prefer no sound—absolute quiet—to engage in and focus on creative endeavors.
Visual activation occurs when we see something that causes us to engage more fully in the activity. For example, a researcher discovering a new bio entity under a microscope or a news reporter witnessing an unexpected event.
Taste can trigger flow for some people. Chefs look for that new ingredient to use or an everyday ingredient to use in a new way.
Taste also can trigger flow for fire investigators because the taste of smoke is an indicator as to what kind of fire occurred and whether it was set intentionally.
Touch is also a strong trigger of flow. Consider surgeons trying to stop a bleed in a patient when they can’t see where the bleed is emanating from. They must feel for the breach. The rescue scuba diver searching for a car or a body in a murky lake does it by feeling his or her way.
If you are a prolific baker, you know by smell when the cookies are done.
People who love horses drop into a flow state just by entering a horse barn and experiencing the smell of horses, leather, and hay (people who don’t love horses just don’t get it).
Because one of the outcomes of being in flow is absolute joy and happiness, the sense of joy and happiness alone can create the conditions for flow. Sadness, too, when coupled with resilience and grit can be a flow trigger.
However you subscribe, thank you for reading!
Learn to flow!
Dr. Judy
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