Flow is said to be good for our well-being — and there is evidence that it can ward off depression, prevent burnout and make us more resilient. We seek it out, but we don’t understand how the brain enables flow very well.

You are running a marathon, and you are so focused on the finish line that you barely experience any pain or tiredness until you are done. You are experiencing flow.

«Flow is a state of peak enjoyment that occurs when you are doing something that is difficult and you are highly skilled at,» explained Richard Huskey, a University of California, Davis, assistant professor of communication and cognitive science and author of a new paper on flow.

Flow is said to be good for our well-being — and there is evidence that it can ward off depression, prevent burnout and make us more resilient. We seek it out, but we don’t understand how the brain enables flow very well, Huskey said.

Looking at flow in media use

In an effort to see what the brain does during flow, Huskey led research looking at how people experience flow while playing a video game. In a paper, which was published in the Journal of Communication this month, more than 140 participants played a video game. Some took part in an experiment while playing a game and self-reported their experiences. Others also subjected themselves to brain imaging so that researchers could look at how their brain functioned during flow.

Story Source:
Materials provided by University of California — Davis. Original written by Karen Michele Nikos-Rose. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.