Distractions KILL FLOW
FOCUS is not just related to flow; it is a necessary condition for achieving it. Without the ability to concentrate deeply, the immersive and very rewarding experience of FLOW, cannot occur. FLOW is often referred to as being IN THE ZONE.
Manage DISTRACTIONS Get into FLOW
There can be 10 to 12 interruptions to a classroom in one day, phone calls from the office, student late arrivals, lost property, borrowing equipment, intercom announcements, class pet escapes, organising team sports, lunchtime activities and a dozen other things.
Does this sound like your classroom?
Most of these interruptions are well intentioned but, is the focus on these more important than well, FOCUSING on LEARNING.
It is estimated that it takes up to 15 minutes for focus to be regained after these types of interruptions and up to 20 days lost over the year.
STUDIES SHOW that constant interruptions in the classroom are closely linked to the rise in behaviour problems and negatively impact the learning environment.
WATCH THE VIDEO
The Big Problem with Little Interruptions to Classroom Learning (2020)
FOCUS IS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE FLOW
FOCUS is not just related to flow; it is a necessary condition for achieving it. Without the ability to concentrate deeply, the immersive and very rewarding experience of flow, cannot occur.
FLOW is often referred to as being IN THE ZONE.
WHEN YOU ARE IN FLOW, WORK SEEMS EFFORTLESS!
Your brain behaves differently. How? By sending out tons of “happy hormones.”
Dopamine…Serotonin…Anandamide…Norepinephrine…
The good stuff.
The stuff that makes your brain go from,
“Yeah…I guess this task sounds fine”
to
“Hell yeah! Let’s do this!”
FLOW is a State of Kind of EFFORTLESS EFFORT
We feel like we're propelled through the activity. Everything else just seems to disappear. Time passes strangely five hours, can go by in five minutes.
This idea is not new, Epictetus (c. 55 – 135 AD) and Marcus Aurelius (121 – 180 AD) discussed this idea, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe coined the German word "Rausch", which means overflowing with joy. Fredrich Nietzsche wrote about flow, William James worked on the topic, but…
MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI is often referred to as the godfather of FLOW.
Mihaly argues that the happiest people are those who regularly experience flow in their lives. He travelled the world, talking to people about the times in their lives when they felt happiest and when they performed their best.
Everywhere he went, people said the same thing…..
When in FLOW where every action, every decision seems to flow effortlessly, perfectly seamlessly from the last, made them feel happy.
FLOW is when you are so focused on the task at hand, so focused on what you're doing, that everything else just seems disappear. There are things you can do to prepare yourself and your environment, so you can DROP INTO FLOW.
Turn off all distractions, your phone, email, all messages, all interruptions.
One study found that when knocked out of FLOW by a knock at the door it can take up to 15 minutes to get back into flow, if you can get back in at all.
We all have experienced THIS in the classroom.
FLOW only shows up when all our attention is in the right here right now, flow triggers are predominantly dopamine triggers.
This drives the focus and attention that drives alertness, and excitement.
WHAT are the TRIGGERS?
Novelty produces dopamine, as does unpredictability, complexity, the experience of awe, risk taking, discovering and figuring things out for yourself. These produce the Dopamine hit on the brain, that gives you feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. Lessons with step by step instructions, only one answer or outcome, aren’t risky and don’t produce the Dopamine hit on the brain so you don’t get feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation.
Check Out FSYOFY - Figure Stuff Out For Yourself
We get the dopamine, not as a reward for taking the risk, but to drive motivation. There five main intrinsic motivators.
The most basic to human motivator is curiosity.
CURIOSITY
One of the things we get from curiosity is focus for free. When we're curious about something, we don't have to struggle. We don't have to burn a lot of calories trying to pay attention to it. Check Out More About Curiosity
PASSION
Passion is a strong, enduring desire and enthusiasm for an activity, subject, or goal that one finds deeply fulfilling. It goes beyond mere interest or curiosity, driving individuals to dedicate significant time and effort to pursue and excel in what they love. Passion often arises when curiosity leads to mastery and a sense of purpose, creating a powerful, self-reinforcing loop of motivation.
PURPOSE
With a clear purpose, the need for autonomy becomes evident. It sparks a desire for the freedom to pursue meaningful goals on one’s own terms, driven by a deep sense of personal mission.
AUTONOMY
is the intrinsic drive to have control over one's own actions, decisions, and work. It is the desire to act in alignment with one's values, preferences, and interests without being compelled or directed by others. Autonomy allows individuals to take ownership of their tasks, leading to a sense of responsibility and personal fulfillment.
MASTERY
Mastery is the development of skills necessary to fully realize one’s purpose. It’s the continuous pursuit of growth and excellence in areas that align with one’s deepest goals.
One of the really incredible things about being human is we're all built for peak performance; flow is universal in humans.
There's also a shared collective version of a flow data, a team performing at their best, a group performing at their best. This is called group flow.
Studies have shown that the people who score off the charts for overall wellbeing and life satisfaction, are the people with the most flow in their lives.
PS
REDUCE INTERRUPTIONS, STAY FOCUSSED, GET INTO FLOW
GAIN UP TO 20 EXTRA DAYS
I’m sure you will figure out great solutions
Students arriving late - introduce a “no interrupt entry to class procedure.”
Lost property – leave outside the classroom if labelled, display during break times.
Borrowing Equipment – organise ahead of time.
Intercom announcements – Stop, & replace by digital bulletin board with daily announcements. Read by the class as initial activity.
Organising Team sports & lunchtime activities – Goes on digital bulletin board.
Phone calls from the office – Saved for emergencies only. Figure it out.
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