Looking to find your flow again?
Here’s how to reconnect with your inner rhythm
In today’s fast-paced world, it often feels like life is speeding up - like a carousel that turns faster with every spin. Our instinctive reaction is to run faster, trying to keep up by doing more. But with our inner critic in the driver’s seat, this often leads to more stress, less productivity, and a diminished sense of flow.
Understanding flow: It’s more than just being “In the Zone”
Flow is that elusive state we all seek - being in the zone, fully immersed in an activity, focused, fulfilled, and enjoying the present moment. However, many people forget that flow isn’t a constant state. Like many aspects of life, it’s a cycle: struggle, release, flow, recovery.
Unfortunately, we often try to skip the crucial release and recovery phases, which can leave us stuck in the struggle phase. Real flow often begins only when we slow down, let go, and take our minds off the problem at hand. This allows our brains to shift learning from the conscious to the subconscious, making us more present and playful.
The benefits of slowing down: How to train your release and recovery muscle
Taking breaks offers numerous benefits, but one of the most significant is its ability to help you achieve flow. So, how can you start training your release and recovery muscle? Here are some simple micro-habits to integrate into your daily routine:
🌱 A one-minute pause between activities: Close your eyes and take deep breaths.
🌱 A five-minute box breathing exercise: Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5, breathe out for 5, hold for 5.
🌱 A 10-minute meditation or heart-breathing practice.
🌱 A 30-minute walk in nature to clear your mind.
🌱 A full-day pause: Take a day off to do absolutely nothing.
These practices may seem simple, but integrating them into your life can make a noticeable difference. Perhaps now, during the holiday season, is the perfect time to start. 😊
Slow down to find your flow
So, what are you doing today to slow down and actively pause? By incorporating these micro-habits into your routine, you increase your chances of finding a healthy flow again—where you feel more productive, focused, and fulfilled.
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Christina Peters, Founder and Executive Coach, The Art of Self
Christina supports leaders and innovators on their path to conscious and regenerative leadership. With over a decade in consulting at boutique firms and Accenture, she has developed digital transformation strategies and build new business models and innovation units for German DAX companies, working with c-level. Six years ago, she began exploring how truly “sustainable” business can work. This journey led her to focus on awareness and leadership development as being crucial to bridging the gap between people, nature & business. Achieving this requires a paradigm shift, learning organisations, and a systemic view of business & value streams.
Direct yet compassionate, and driven yet humble, she has navigated significant personal & professional change. Her holistic experience uniquely positions her to facilitate deep personal & leadership transformation. She is member of the European Association of Supervision & Coaching and has learned directly from various pioneers at the forefront of leadership, such as Gunther Schmidt at Milton-Erickson Institute Heidelberg, Carol Sanford, and Giles Hutchins. With roots in Hamburg and experience in South America, China, South Africa, and England, she is blending global thinking with local action.
