What the Great Briton Can Teach Us About Flow
If you’re a fan of The Great British Bake Off , you’ve likely noticed an overwhelming sense of calm that pervades the program and soothes the viewer. Unlike other cooking shows, the contestants are not “here to win”, they are here to bake and maybe even make friends.
According to Quartz , the placating nature of the show can be attributed to a concept that psychologist Mihai Csikszentmihalyi calls “flow”, which is described as “the ecstatic state of deep concentration that occurs when we are really and deeply engaged in a task.” You are more likely to experience this fully focused, serene feeling when you are deeply absorbed in something that challenges you a little, such as fixing a sink, training an instrument, or learning a new craft (I see this in my father whenever he tries to link a new type of fuzzy fishing bug).
As it turns out, the craftsmanship is actually fatal to the flow, which may explain why the lovers at The Great British Bake Off seem so much more Zen than the professional cupcake lovers at Cupcake Apocalypse or whatever. It also explains why people who “do what they love” for a living end up feeling like they’ve ruined their once-loved hobby by turning it into a career. (As someone who has turned his hobby into a profession, I sometimes feel this.)
It makes sense. When something becomes your “job,” you have to become more professional at it. This makes the activity less difficult, which means you are less likely to lose yourself in it. Luckily, you don’t have to look for a new hobby or quit your job to love your hobby again, you just need to step outside your comfort zone a little. Let’s say you – I don’t know, I just don’t give a damn here – a food writer who turned her passion for blogging into a job for which she is very grateful, but now has a hard time losing herself in the writing process. You may find it helpful to try a different genre of writing, such as fiction, to strain your brain and rekindle a passion for the act of placing words on a page. You can also tackle larger, slightly more intimidating projects to step outside your comfort zone at work, which – while it may seem more stressful at first – will ultimately bring you more satisfaction.
Alternatively, you can simply accept your amateur status and never try to turn your passion into a career by maintaining a high flow rate and living romance. If I have learned anything from watching GBBOs, it is that hobby bakers are the happiest bakers (and that Paul Hollywood’s piercing, husky blue eyes miss nothing ).
The Great British Bake Off – Becoming a Happier and Calmer Person | Quartz