Concept of Striving (linking it with flow)

Introduction

Flow is defined as
"...a state of complete immersion in a challenging task......during flow you are so immersed and lost in what you are doing that time seems to vanish..."
Adam Fraser 2020

It is a state of high performance and promotes excellent well-being

There are 5 key elements

i) challenge (high level, ie very difficult task)

ii) skill (high level, ie top level of skills required )

iii) feeling of time (time becomes distorted, ie disappears)

iv) enjoyment (high level, ie keenness and like what you are doing)

v) interest (high level, ie the task is appealing)

In contrast striving is defined as
"...Taking on challenging activities that require us to be brave and to evolve in the pursuit of something that is purposeful and important......displayed courage (overcoming low enjoyment and low interest)......leads to huge levels of fulfilment and transformation..."
Adam Fraser 2020

To build self-esteem and self-worth, 2 of the 5 key elements used to describe flow are different, eg

- enjoyment (low, ie
"...the task wasn't fun...... did not experience happiness while performing it......often has high levels of negative emotion..."
Adam Fraser 2020

Some of the negative emotions can be fear, anxiety, panic, etc plus negative thoughts like predicting a disastrous outcome

- interest (low, ie the task is not appealing and would prefer to be doing something else)

How to handle negative thoughts and emotions, ie 4 suggestions

"...1. a compelling reason for having a conversation (......the meaning and purpose associated with it)

    2. the courage they would show by completing the action

    3. the development and growth they would gain

    4. accepting that is not going to feel good but that was okay..."
Adam Fraser 2020

After completing these tasks and reflecting on their performance, most people are in awe of themselves being capable of overcoming such a challenging situation, ie these are the moments where they truly grew and evolved.

 Remember
"...Factors that trigger flow states include a high level of risk with significant possible consequences as a help for us to pay attention; as well as embodiment, where we learn through doing and making, not just consuming, reading and theorising......the paradox of flow is that it does require focus and effort..."
Cathryn Lloyd, 2020

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