One of the prime influences of my late 1970s graduate studies in positive psychology was the researcher and innovator Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi. He talks about flow.
Flow experiences are those times when we feel completely lost in what we're doing. Our sense of self alters where we feel one with our task and circumstances. In fact, as with all deep experiences of focus, our brain's sense of self-consciousness temporarily diminishes.
In flow, we become 200% faster and 500% more productive in our performance and decision making.
Flow happens naturally and intentionally in just about Any kind of situation imaginable. We can experience it In uniquely challenging and routine situations. We can be in flow talking to a group or cooking a meal, in front of a screen or on a walk, playing with ideas or pitching proposals.
Focus is at the core of flow. We lose a separate sense of time and self. We feel completely engaged in what we're doing with the whole of our mind, body and spirit. We live in a rich space of curiosity instead of bouncing back and forth between the poles of stress and boredom.
From Focus