How to Improve Your Ability to Get into Flow in Poker
Hi guys,
Today we are going to talk about flow - one of, if not the most important and powerful tools in peak performance.
Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best. The phrase more particularly refers to those instances of total absorption, when someone is so absorbed in what they are doing that everything else just fades away and their performance is greatly enhanced. People associate the terms “selflessness”, “timelessness” and “effortlessness” with flow.
Part of the basic idea of Flow (which can be seen in the attached flow graph) is you have a horizontal line for our skill level and then a vertical line for our challenge level. If the challenge is high but your skill is low, you will experience Anxiety. Whereas if your skill is high but the challenge is low, you will experience Boredom. If the skill level matches the challenge, enter FLOW.
The optimum increase for staying in the flow channel without overstressing has been calculated at a 4% increase. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you think of the compounding effect it can quite quickly add up. So really it’s just coming out of your comfort zone.
I’ll just give you some info on flow from various sources:
Some of the top organisations in the world use flow to increase performance
Harvard found subjects to have 3 days of heightened creativity after the flow state
McKinsey found a 500% increase in productivity by executives who regularly access flow states.
Advanced Brain Monitoring and DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) found subjects to have a 490% increase in skill acquisition.
The University of Sydney found subjects to have a 430% increase in problem solving.
Below are 3 ways to help you achieve the state of flow whilst playing poker:
I think you know the importance of having your sleep, exercise, nutrition, meditation, mindset, general emotional well-being, etc sorted out. They take on even more importance when putting yourself in a position to access a flow state. If you don’t have these aspects of your life sorted, hopefully, this can act as even more motivation to get those habits and routines on point.
It’s very important to understand why you’re playing poker. This has a big influence on game selection, which can be a big factor. In poker, it’s crucial to play at stakes that are both challenging and lucrative. Some players only look at the number of buy-ins in their bankroll. You need to make sure you take into account the level of difficulty as well to find the balance needed for flow.
Make sure you don’t play more tables than you’re able to handle. If you feel like you’re struggling with your attention span and ability to handle information currently then you may be exceeding your capacity. If it is the case then look to reduce your number of tables and increase your chances of entering flow state.
I hope this helps.
Catch up with you soon,
Alex
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