How to find your flow state when you’ve lost it

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

This message comes from Charles Schwab with their original podcast, Choiceology. Choiceology is a show about the psychology and economics behind people's decisions. Download the latest episode and subscribe at schwab.com/podcast.

Marielle Segarra (0:16)

Hey, it's Marielle Segarra. You're listening to Life Kit. We have a treat for you today. NPR Health and Science correspondent Allison Aubrey has a new show called Your Turn. It's here to help people navigate midlife and to figure out what's next for them. So today, you're going to hear an episode about flow, that state of euphoric, effortless immersion in a challenging task, and how a flow state can help you find purpose and momentum in your life.

Here's Allison.

Allison Aubrey (0:46)

I think if you have ever felt stuck in life, like you've been doing the same thing for so long, Diane Allen's story is really going to resonate.

She played violin for the Central Oregon Symphony Orchestra for about 15 years. She was what they call the Concertmaster.

Diane Allen (1:08)

You know, so many people don't even know what that word means. So the Concertmaster is the lead violinist, second in command to the conductor. And if you think about how an orchestra is set up, think of dominoes because I'm right up front with the conductor, and however well or not well I was doing that day, that would have a ripple effect throughout the orchestra.

So if I'm having a great day, that's going to ripple out throughout the orchestra. If I'm having a bad day, that's going to ripple out. So it was always expected to me to be at the top of my game, always deeply engaged.

Allison Aubrey (1:50)

How many hours a day were you spending playing music or in these roles, as you describe, leading, help leading the orchestra?

Diane Allen (2:00)

During the week of an orchestra concert, we would have rehearsals every single evening.

And we would do, I think it was three shows over the course of the weekend to satisfy demand. In between, I was teaching violin. So I would have violin students all day long, Monday through Friday.

Allison Aubrey (2:24)

I mean, the violin was everything to her. I mean, she did it morning, noon, night. And she had played in so many concerts. Then one night, she was preparing as she had done many, many times, and she suddenly felt off.

Diane Allen (2:40)

I turn around, sit down, give a big cue for the music to start, and I couldn't move. For some reason, I had a stress response that prevented my arms from being flexible. My elbows were frozen.

Allison Aubrey (2:56)

At that moment, she was completely caught off guard. She certainly did not have words for it. She just knew it was this terrifying feeling.

Diane Allen (3:05)

I literally was saying to myself, just keep moving, just keep moving. My colleagues were looking literally, eyes over the music stand, completely open, staring at me, like, we can't hear you because I was using such a tiny amount of my violin bow that the sound wasn't producing. And feels like an hour. It really only took about a minute for me to regain the full use of my arms. But then there was this disconnect. I was just playing the notes. I could not feel the music and I could not figure out why that would even be.

And I literally felt like my reputation and job security were going to be at stake if I couldn't crack this nut.

Allison Aubrey (3:51)

I mean, music is central to Diane's identity.

And this started very early in her life. Do you remember a moment early in those years when you first started playing violin where it really clicked?

Diane Allen (4:04)

I'm 15 and I'm in my room and I'm blasting the music. And, you know, I'm not listening to rock and roll. Of course, I'm listening to a violin concerto.

And I had this full on, you could call it a daydream. I really think I was having an intense flow state experience.

Allison Aubrey (4:31)

So she uses that word flow and it totally catches my ear.

Now, flow is that feeling that makes you feel completely absorbed in whatever you're doing, like you're lost to the moment. But it's also a scientific term.

Diane Allen (4:46)

Where I literally felt like I was the soloist.

I was pouring the core of my soul into every note I play. I even remember the gown that I was wearing and the twinkles on it, right?

Allison Aubrey (5:01)

But now, here she is, she's an adult.

She has tons of experience performing on the violin. But suddenly, she can't find it anymore. She can't find that feeling.