Flow Survey
The purpose of this survey is to identify if and how you enter into “flow” or “the zone.” If you have not heard of these words or concepts, let us describe the experience for you. Read the descriptions below and decide if you have ever had an experience like this:
“My mind wasn’t wandering. I was not thinking of something else. I was totally involved in what I was doing. My body felt good. I didn’t seem to hear anything. The world seemed to be cut off from me. I was less aware of my problems and myself.”
“My concentration was like breathing. I never thought of it. I was really quite oblivious to my surroundings after I really got going. I thought that the phone could ring, and the doorbell could ring, or the house could burn down or something like that. When I started, I really did shut out the whole world. Once I stopped, I could let it back in again.”
“I was so involved in what I was doing. I didn’t see myself as separate from what I was doing.”
(Taken from Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, Optimal Experience, 1988. (pp. 139-140)
Additional words or phrases that describe flow might be:
- In the groove
- In the zone
- Effortless
- Total absorption
- Positive moods
- Interested in the activity for its own sake
- Losing yourself or being totally engrossed in the experience
Through this survey we would like to ask you several questions about your experience(s) with flow—even your strategies for replicating this experience in some or many arenas of your life.
Given your willingness to share your flow experiences and strategies, we will be asking you several questions that will help you think deeper about these experiences as well as your process or processes for replicating these experiences.
I thank you for your willingness to participate in this study and hope it will be an educational experience for you.