Finding Flow in Nature

Finding Flow in Nature

by | Feb 10, 2023 | Flow, Inspiration, Mindset, Nature

Flow is a state of consciousness where individuals become completely absorbed in what they are doing, lose track of time, and feel a deep sense of enjoyment and fulfillment. It is often described as being “in the zone” and is a state that many people strive to achieve. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the relationship between flow and nature, with many people suggesting that spending time in nature can help individuals achieve a state of flow more easily. In this blog post, we will explore the ways in which time spent in nature can improve flow and how this can benefit our lives.

Reduces Distractions

One of the key factors that can prevent individuals from achieving a state of flow is distractions. In our modern world, we are constantly bombarded with notifications, emails, and messages, all of which can make it difficult to focus on one task. However, when we spend time in nature, we are removed from these distractions and can focus our attention on the present moment. This allows us to enter a state of flow more easily, as we are not constantly being interrupted by external stimuli.

Promotes Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment, without judgment or distraction. When we spend time in nature, we are often surrounded by natural beauty and tranquility, which can help us to become more mindful. By focusing on our surroundings and taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature, we can cultivate a sense of mindfulness that can help us enter a state of flow. This is because mindfulness allows us to be fully present in the moment, which is a key aspect of flow.

Reduces Stress

Stress is a major barrier to achieving a state of flow. When we are stressed, our minds are often preoccupied with worries and anxieties, which can prevent us from fully engaging in the task at hand. However, spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress levels and promote relaxation. Studies have found that exposure to nature can lower cortisol levels, a hormone associated with stress, and promote the release of endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, spending time in nature can make it easier to achieve a state of flow.

Increases Creativity

Flow is often associated with creativity, as individuals in this state often come up with innovative and original ideas. Spending time in nature has been shown to boost creativity, as exposure to natural environments can stimulate the imagination and inspire new ideas. This is because nature is full of novel and unexpected stimuli that can help individuals think outside the box and come up with unique solutions to problems.

Provides a Sense of Purpose

Having a clear sense of purpose is another key aspect of flow. When individuals are engaged in a task that they find meaningful and fulfilling, they are more likely to enter a state of flow. Spending time in nature can help individuals connect with their sense of purpose, as it often provides a sense of awe and wonder that can inspire a deeper appreciation for life. This can help individuals feel more grounded and connected to their values, which can promote a sense of purpose and direction.

Increases Physical Activity

Physical activity has been shown to improve cognitive function and promote a state of flow. When we engage in physical activity, our bodies release endorphins and other mood-boosting chemicals, which can help us feel more energized and focused. Spending time in nature often involves some form of physical activity, such as hiking, biking, or walking, which can help us enter a state of flow more easily.

Tips for Achieving Flow in Nature

Now that we have discussed the ways in which spending time in nature can improve flow, you may be wondering how to incorporate this practice into your life. Here are some tips for achieving flow in nature:

  1. Disconnect from technology: One of the main benefits of spending time in nature is the opportunity to disconnect from technology and other distractions. To fully immerse yourself in the natural environment, consider leaving your phone or other devices behind.

  2. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment. By focusing on your surroundings and paying attention to the sights, sounds, and smells of nature, you can cultivate a sense of mindfulness that can help you achieve a state of flow.

  3. Choose activities that you enjoy: Flow is more likely to occur when you are engaged in an activity that you find enjoyable and challenging. Consider trying out different outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing, or kayaking to find the one that resonates with you.

  4. Set goals for your activity: Setting goals for your outdoor activity can help you stay motivated and focused. Whether it’s reaching the top of a mountain or completing a certain distance on a trail, having a clear goal in mind can help you achieve flow.

  5. Embrace the present moment: To enter a state of flow, it’s important to be fully present in the moment. This means letting go of past worries and future anxieties and focusing your attention on the present moment. By embracing the beauty of nature and being fully engaged in your activity, you can enter a state of flow that brings you a sense of fulfillment and joy.

So what are you waiting for? Get out into nature and reap those sweet flow benefits. Drop a comment and let us know about your nature flow adventures!

​

Ben Beresh is a designer, filmmaker and co-founder of MossyBrain. Originally from Niagara Falls, ON, he now happily calls Broken Arrow OK home, along with his wife Jessica, four kids and dog Charlie. Ben likes to have a good time, all the time (Enneagram 7), as well as eating all types of sandwiches.

Connect with him on Facebook or ben@mossybrain.com.

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Ep. 12 – Put Yourself Out There

Ep. 12 – Put Yourself Out There

by | Aug 29, 2019 |

Jess & Ben share their thoughts on the creative triumph that is Hamilton, and an invigorating experience at a Maker Fair. New words are invented in this episode's FlowJam. Then pros and cons of putting yourself and your creativity out into the world are discussed...

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DISCLOSURE: Some links in this article, and elsewhere on this site, may be affiliate links. While there is not any additional cost to you, purchases made via those affiliate links may earn us a commission. Only products and services which have been vetted and tested by the MossyBrain team are featured and promoted. If you are thinking of purchasing a featured product or service, or have a genuine interest in a linked product, your use of the affiliate link is appreciated and allows us to continue writing these kinds of helpful articles. Thanks so much!

TEDx Talk – 3 Tools To Become More Creative

TEDx Talk – 3 Tools To Become More Creative

by | Aug 7, 2019 | Flow, Inspiration, Video

At a TEDx event in Copenhagen, Balder Onarheim, PhD of the Copenhagen Institute of NeuroCreativity explains the importance for adults to re-learn creativity, and gives three tools to help us do so.

“Creativity is not just about art – it is one of the most crucial human traits. It lies at the heart of innovation, thus it is not a superficial skill but a necessity for human survival,” says Orarheim. “Growing up makes us less creative. Therefore we have to re-learn creativity, and luckily there are multiple ways to do so.”

Check out this fascinating talk and let us know what you think!

Ben Beresh is a designer, filmmaker and co-founder of MossyBrain. Originally from Niagara Falls, ON, he now happily calls Broken Arrow OK home, along with his wife Jessica, four kids and dog Charlie. Ben likes to have a good time, all the time (Enneagram 7), as well as eating all types of sandwiches.

Connect with him on Facebook or ben@mossybrain.com.

You might also like…

Ep. 12 – Put Yourself Out There

Ep. 12 – Put Yourself Out There

by | Aug 29, 2019 |

Jess & Ben share their thoughts on the creative triumph that is Hamilton, and an invigorating experience at a Maker Fair. New words are invented in this episode's FlowJam. Then pros and cons of putting yourself and your creativity out into the world are discussed...

read more

DISCLOSURE: Some links in this article, and elsewhere on this site, may be affiliate links. While there is not any additional cost to you, purchases made via those affiliate links may earn us a commission. Only products and services which have been vetted and tested by the MossyBrain team are featured and promoted. If you are thinking of purchasing a featured product or service, or have a genuine interest in a linked product, your use of the affiliate link is appreciated and allows us to continue writing these kinds of helpful articles. Thanks so much!

What is a FlowJam??

What is a FlowJam??

by | Apr 3, 2019 | Flow

Have you ever felt creatively empty- unable to generate fresh ideas and think outside the box? Have you ever had a hard time getting started on a creative endeavor? If so, join the club of those of us unable to find our creative Flow.

Flow is when the creativity faucet in your brain has been opened. Much like the rush of running water, Flow is the current of your creative thoughts. It is this motion of creative focus that facilitates our best ideas and inspiration.

No one lives in a constant state of Flow; many of us have a hard time experiencing it on a regular basis. You may be wondering if you’ve ever experienced Flow. Well, good news! Flow isn’t magic, and we have some ideas to help with its sometimes-evasive nature.

Here at MossyBrain, we’ve developed an exercise to jumpstart your creativity- the FlowJam.

A FlowJam is an abstract exercise, unrelated to your creative task, that helps get your creative juices flowing. This activity boosts our creativity by propelling us out of our normal thought patterns. It removes barriers like practicality, fear, and feasibility that cause us to self-edit our ideas before we even put them out there. Once these barriers are gone, our creativity is able to flow, unimpeded.

There is a deep well of ideas on the internet to inspire creativity – our list is by no means comprehensive. Rather, this can be a starting point for you to dip your toe in the FlowJam waters.

Here are some of our favorite FlowJam ideas:

  • Write a haiku about your day
  • Choose a song you love and make up new lyrics
  • Draw something without lifting your pen
  • Freestyle rap about something you see
  • Pitch a movie idea
  • Solve a problem in a creative/complicated way
  • Find as many uses as you can for a paperclip in 2 minutes
  • Find a partner and improv a scene (or solo improv in the mirror!)
  • Draw your non-writing hand without looking at your paper while you draw
  • Create an original product
  • Recast a classic movie with new actors
  • Write a heartfelt ode to the next object you see
  • Make up a new dance, complete with appropriate name
  • Come up with 5 never-before-heard-of ice cream flavors
  • Create a new, original game show

Of course, there are many other ideas that can inspire creativity- new experiences, nature, learning a new instrument, and travel. But FlowJams are intended to be something you can do anytime, anywhere, to fire up that creative engine within a matter of minutes. Pardon the competing creativity analogies.

If you’ve ever listened to our podcast, The MossyBrain Show, you know that we do a FlowJam exercise to get things rolling near the top of every episode. If you haven’t listened yet, go check it out to witness the glory and sometimes ridiculousness of the FlowJam in action. We’re happy to make fools of ourselves for the good of creativity.

As always, we want to hear from you; share your best FlowJam ideas with us!

Jessica Beresh is a blogger and co-founder of MossyBrain. Along with her husband Ben, their 4 kids and their sweet puppy Charlie she resides in Broken Arrow OK. She is a 9 on the Enneagram, loves drinking Chai (hot or iced) and also enjoys rainy days.

Connect with her on Facebook or jess@mossybrain.com.

You might also like…

Ep. 12 – Put Yourself Out There

Ep. 12 – Put Yourself Out There

by | Aug 29, 2019 |

Jess & Ben share their thoughts on the creative triumph that is Hamilton, and an invigorating experience at a Maker Fair. New words are invented in this episode's FlowJam. Then pros and cons of putting yourself and your creativity out into the world are discussed...

read more

DISCLOSURE: Some links in this article, and elsewhere on this site, may be affiliate links. While there is not any additional cost to you, purchases made via those affiliate links may earn us a commission. Only products and services which have been vetted and tested by the MossyBrain team are featured and promoted. If you are thinking of purchasing a featured product or service, or have a genuine interest in a linked product, your use of the affiliate link is appreciated and allows us to continue writing these kinds of helpful articles. Thanks so much!

The Importance of Flow

The Importance of Flow

by | Apr 2, 2019 | Flow

If you’ve ever engaged in creative pursuits, you understand that sometimes you’re on, sometimes you’re off. For whatever reason, the Muse may grant favor one day and creativity feels effortless. The next day, she may give you the cold shoulder, and you’re just – stuck. This is the nature of creative Flow.

What is Flow?

Flow is when the creativity faucet in your brain has been opened. Much like the rush of running water, Flow is the current of your creative thoughts. It is this motion of creative focus that facilitates our best ideas and inspiration. Some people refer to this mental state as “being on” or “finding your mojo”.

It is hard to comprehend the true value of Flow without experiencing it. It’s almost like a sixth sense- intangible until you are in the midst of it. Once you find your Flow and enter into it, creativity and imagination will be greatly enhanced. The basis for creativity is linking seemingly unrelated concepts and thoughts. In the flow, you will begin to make abstract connections between ideas much quicker and many inhibitions will be lowered. Working within a “Flow” state will result in a feeling of freedom as possibilities for creative problem-solving become abundant.

Entering the Flow

So exactly how might one enter this creative Flow? We have no idea. If you figure it out, will you let us know?

I kid.

Sort of.

There may be times when it will feel like your Muse has bequeathed magic upon you, inspiring your creative output. But we believe that Flow is more physiological than magical (although no one here is denying the possibility of magic). Let’s just not assume this is how it has to work. If it did, then our whole “Creativity is for Everyone” mantra would be hard to swallow for those untouched by the “magic.”

Essentially, we need to give our brains space and freedom to wander, daydream, and use our imaginations. As adults, we have so much structure and little free time. The conventions of society have programmed us to deny and shut off our creativity. Entering Flow means limiting typical restrictions such as time, expectation, and practicality so that we can allow creativity to do its work. Like a torrent when floodgates are opened, creativity is most powerful when it can be free and untamed. Of course, we have limited resources of time and energy, but if we prioritize space in our schedules and our minds for creativity, we will begin to reap the benefits of Flow.

There are also exercises (here at MossyBrain we have an activity we like to call a FlowJam) we can use to keep our brain on its proverbial toes; brain puzzles, write new lyrics to familiar songs, draw something without lifting your pen, learn a new instrument, go somewhere you’ve never been, write a haiku, freestyle rap! These are just a few of a plethora of ideas that get our brains to shut down filters and free associate. Any kind of new activity can push us out of “normal thought patterns” and boost our creativity.

This is not a formula for creative success, but an awareness of what benefits our brains and facilitates creative thinking.

Maintaining the Flow

Experiencing this magical state of uninhibited mojo can definitely leave you wanting more. Once you experience creative Flow, the natural next question is probably “How can I return to a state of Flow when needed?”

The simple answer is to be intentional and to set yourself up for success. But the practice of doing so is far from simple. Resistance to creativity takes many insidious forms- some obvious, some subtle. Don’t let yourself become complacent in your life so that creativity and Flow become a distant memory. Continually break down the barriers and inhibitions that keep your Flow reduced to a trickle.

Disrupt your routine unexpectedly- take a walk, meditate, take a long shower, enjoy nature. Activities that don’t require mental noise, that allow you to clear your mind, will boost your creativity. These simple disruptions could be the catalyst needed to burst through the dam holding your Flow back. Also, utilize the FlowJam activities when you want a creative breakthrough. Just a few dedicated minutes can have great impact. Do WHATEVER IT TAKES and do it with intention. Your creative mojo is worth it!

Happy, Healthy FLOW

Life can take it out of us. Responsibilities, relationships, even activities we use to unwind (or numb, if we’re being honest) can fill up every inch of our lives. But don’t just shrug and continue with the status quo! We want to encourage you to invest in yourself and your creativity. Make some free space to find your creative Flow; you won’t regret it!

As always, we here at MossyBrain are your biggest cheerleaders! Listen to the podcast for our FlowJam exercise near the beginning of each show, and check out our FlowJam article for some more ideas. Happy Creating!

Jessica Beresh is a blogger and co-founder of MossyBrain. Along with her husband Ben, their 4 kids and their sweet puppy Charlie she resides in Broken Arrow OK. She is a 9 on the Enneagram, loves Chai (hot or iced) and also enjoys rainy days.

Connect with her on Facebook or jess@mossybrain.com.

You might also like…

Ep. 12 – Put Yourself Out There

Ep. 12 – Put Yourself Out There

by | Aug 29, 2019 |

Jess & Ben share their thoughts on the creative triumph that is Hamilton, and an invigorating experience at a Maker Fair. New words are invented in this episode's FlowJam. Then pros and cons of putting yourself and your creativity out into the world are discussed...

read more

DISCLOSURE: Some links in this article, and elsewhere on this site, may be affiliate links. While there is not any additional cost to you, purchases made via those affiliate links may earn us a commission. Only products and services which have been vetted and tested by the MossyBrain team are featured and promoted. If you are thinking of purchasing a featured product or service, or have a genuine interest in a linked product, your use of the affiliate link is appreciated and allows us to continue writing these kinds of helpful articles. Thanks so much!

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