In this episode of The Study Space Podcast, we talk about how to get into “the flow” and what that means for your productivity. We discuss the benefits of getting into the flow, our experiences with what our work has been like while in the flow, and how we have personally coaxed ourselves into the flow state. We also dive into some resources and quick tips you can apply to help yourselves get into the flow.

Students struggle with concentration and focus all the time, especially when there are so many distractions around us today. However, we have all had that out-of-body experience where we have been so hyper-focused that we lose all track of time while we work with seemingly endless concentration and motivation. We think this is something you can learn to control.

Things mentioned in this episode:

• What is “the flow?”
• David’s experience with what “the flow” feels like
• Being under pressure can help push you into “the flow”
• Not feeling stuck on a problem can make entering the flow state easier
• You can enter the flow state for one part of a problem with the goal of solving the whole problem
• Cal Newport’s Deep Work
• Not all work is equally valuable
• Eliminate distractions
• Mentally separate working from living
• Don’t work on your bed!
• Develop working habits
• Caffeine has diminishing returns
• Go to a place where you can’t do anything else but work, like a library or cafe
• Don’t play games or slack off around other people who are trying to work
• Music without vocals can help with focus and drown out other noises
• Music that you’ve listened to repeatedly can help with focus too

Your hosts: David Chuong and Julian Vu

Music: “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under a Creative Commons License.