The Flow Cycle

Ever struggle to start a task and give up after a few minutes?

In Flow Science, this is known as the Struggle Phase.

Understanding the Flow Cycle can help you push through and reach the productivity you’re looking for. Rather than flicking a switch, think of your way into Flow States like a cycle.

And that cycle has four disctinct phases:

⛰️ Struggle – The uncomfortable start.

🎈 Release – A quick mental reset.

🧑🏼‍💻 Flow – Deep focus, effortless productivity.

🧖🏼 Recovery – Essential recharging.

So let’s break it down.

1. Struggle ⛰️

It’s that moment when getting started feels hard. You stare at your screen, unsure where to begin. This phase can last 5 to 30 minutes, and here’s the catch: if you give up and switch tasks, you reset the clock and have to start over.

Instead of escaping discomfort, try this: hold the line. Stay with it. Push through the friction. Your brain is gathering information, connecting ideas—even if it doesn’t feel like it.

2. Release 🎈

However, grit alone won’t cut it. You need Release.

Once you break through Struggle, take a quick mental reset. Not your phone, not emails. Avoid all cognitive load.

Instead, go for a short walk for a couple of minutes, take deep breaths, or stretch for 30 seconds. That can be enough, keep it short, to avoid resetting the clock. Letting go like this primes your brain for what comes next:

3. Flow 🧑🏼‍💻

Time melts away. Creativity surges. Productivity feels effortless. This is the state where you do your best work. It’s not random—it’s earned. And the more you understand the cycle, the more often you can access it.

It can be helpful to think of it like a continuum. Mihaly Csikzentmihaly, the "father of flow", made an important distinction:

• Micro-flow: Bursts of focus during daily tasks, short-lived but energizing.

• Macro-flow: Deep, immersive states lasting 1.5-3 hours where your best work happens.

For Macro-flow here’s a pro tip: exit before you’re completely drained. That way, you recover faster and can tap into Flow again the next day.

4. Recovery 🧖🏼

Think of Flow like peak performance in sports. Just like athletes need strategic rest, your brain needs active recovery—light movement, meditation, time in nature, deep sleep.

But doom-scrolling? Not on the list.

Flow isn’t about forcing focus. It’s about understanding the cycle and working with your brain, not against it.

Unfortunately, the crucial role of recovery is often neglected. However, it's a key ingredient of sustained optimal performance. Flow states use up a lot of neurochemicals and energy to power our brain. And just like with muscles, those reserves need to be replenished.

🚀 So, next time you’re in the Struggle phase, don’t quit—push through. Flow is waiting on the other side.