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Intellectual Engagement & Flow

Our intrinsic interest and focus in the work we do

Self-Coaching Guide: Intellectual Engagement & Flow at Work

I feel engaged, alert and 'switched on' when working
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Engagement and alertness are crucial for maintaining interest and motivation at work. Lack of engagement can lead to boredom and dissatisfaction. 
    • Mental Health: Being engaged at work can reduce stress and improve overall mental health. 
    • Performance: High engagement is linked to better performance and productivity. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • If you don’t feel engaged and alert, what are you feeling? 
    • What is behind this lack of engagement? 
    • How would you like to feel? 
    • What is in your control to change? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify tasks that you find engaging and try to incorporate more of them into your workday. 
    • Set clear goals and break tasks into manageable steps to maintain focus. 
    • Take regular breaks to recharge; studies show that taking a 2-10 minute microbreak can reduce the risk of burnout by up to 20%. 
I feel my skills and experience are being suitably stretched and challenged by my work
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Feeling challenged is essential for achieving a state of flow, where you are fully immersed in your work. 
    • Mental Health: Appropriate challenges can boost self-esteem and reduce anxiety. 
    • Performance: Stretching your skills can lead to personal and professional growth. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • Do you lack ‘stretch’ or feel the stretch exceeds your skills and experience? 
    • What would need to change to achieve an optimal balance between these two things? 
    • In what way does your role enable you to develop a sense of mastery? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Seek out projects that challenge your skills and provide opportunities for growth. 
    • Discuss with your manager about taking on new responsibilities that align with your strengths. 
    • Look into Job Crafting, specifically ‘Task Crafting ‘for techniques to modify your job tasks to better match your skills and interests, such as taking on more complex projects or mastering new skills. 
I feel so absorbed by my work that I don't notice time passing
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Being in a state of flow is associated with high levels of satisfaction and enjoyment. Flow is a state of complete immersion in an activity, where you lose track of time and feel fully engaged and energised. This concept, introduced by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is associated with high satisfaction and productivity levels. Achieving flow can enhance your overall wellbeing, reduce stress, and improve performance. To get into a state of flow, you need to balance the challenge of the task with your skill level, set clear goals, and minimise distractions. 
    • Mental Health: Flow can reduce stress and increase feelings of accomplishment. 
    • Performance: Flow enhances focus and productivity. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • How do you feel about your response here? 
    • What is your reflection on your engagement with your work? 
    • Did you interpret this question as being more to do with time management and productivity than flow?  
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Schedule uninterrupted time blocks to work on tasks that require deep focus. 
    • Minimize distractions by setting boundaries with colleagues and using tools like noise-canceling headphones. 
    • Reflect on tasks that naturally engage you and try to incorporate more of them into your work. 
I feel under-utilised and that I have more to offer*
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Feeling under-utilized can lead to frustration and decreased job satisfaction. 
    • Mental Health: Utilizing your strengths can boost self-esteem and overall wellbeing. 
    • Performance: Leveraging your skills can enhance job performance and career growth. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • In what ways do you feel under-utilised?  
    • What more do you feel you can offer? 
    • What is preventing this currently? 
    • What opportunities do you think there are at work for you to feel more fully utilised? 
    • Do you have the (time) capacity to offer more?  
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify your strengths and seek opportunities to apply them in your current role. 
    • Discuss with your manager about taking on new projects or responsibilities that align with your skills.
    • Look into Job Crafting and consider ‘Relational Crafting’ – building relationships with colleagues who can help you utilise your strengths and provide new opportunities. 
My work enables me to develop a sense of expertise and mastery
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Developing expertise can be highly motivating and fulfilling. 
    • Mental Health: Mastery of skills can boost confidence and reduce stress. 
    • Performance: Continuous learning and skill development can enhance job performance. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • How does this impact your motivation and wellbeing? 
    • What would you like to develop mastery in? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Set specific learning goals and seek out training or development opportunities. 
    • Engage in continuous learning through courses, workshops, or self-study. 
    • Seek feedback from colleagues and mentors to improve your skills. 
I find it hard to stay focussed while working*
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Difficulty focusing can lead to frustration and decreased job satisfaction. 
    • Mental Health: Lack of focus can increase stress and anxiety. 
    • Performance: Maintaining focus is crucial for productivity and achieving flow. 
  • Reflective Prompts:
    • What factors contribute to your difficulty in focusing? 
    • How can you minimise distractions and improve your concentration? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Create a distraction-free work environment by setting boundaries and minimising interruptions. 
    • Use time management techniques like the Pomodoro Technique to maintain focus. 
    • Prioritise tasks and break them into smaller, manageable steps. 
In my work, I lack the freedom to be innovative*
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Creativity and innovation are key components of intellectual engagement. 
    • Mental Health: Being able to innovate can boost job satisfaction and reduce stress. 
    • Performance: Innovation can lead to better problem-solving and job performance. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What gets in the way of your innovation? 
    • How would you like it to be? 
    • What can you change to progress towards this? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Seek out opportunities to contribute new ideas and solutions. 
    • Discuss with your manager about creating a more innovative work environment. 
    • Look into Job Crafting and experiment with ‘Cognitive Crafting’ to change how you perceive your job to find new opportunities for innovation and creativity. 
When working, my ability to concentrate is compromised by competing demands for my attention*
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Competing demands can lead to stress and decreased job satisfaction. 
    • Mental Health: Managing multiple demands can increase anxiety and reduce focus. 
    • Performance: Effective concentration is crucial for productivity and achieving flow.  
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What is the source of the demands for your attention? 
    • What have you done to try and make space to concentrate? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Quarantine thinking/working time by setting specific periods for focused work. 
    • Communicate with your team about your need for uninterrupted work time. 
    • Encourage others to respect boundaries and agree on protocols for contact. 
My job and work context enable me to play to my strengths
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Using your strengths can lead to higher engagement and job satisfaction.
    • Mental Health: Leveraging strengths can boost self-esteem and reduce stress. 
    • Performance: Playing to your strengths can enhance job performance and career growth. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What are the strengths you would like to make more use of? 
    • What opportunities are there for you to use these strengths at work? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify your strengths and seek opportunities to apply them in your current role. 
    • Discuss with your manager about aligning your tasks with your strengths. 
    • Look into Job Crafting to identify techniques that will enable you to better utilise your strengths – e.g., modify your job tasks to match to take on more complex projects that stretch your knowledge and skills. 
I feel genuinely satisfied with and interested in my work
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Job satisfaction is crucial for overall wellbeing and motivation. 
    • Mental Health: Being interested in your work can reduce stress and improve mental health. 
    • Performance: Job satisfaction is linked to higher productivity and performance. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What would have to change for you to feel genuinely satisfied more of the time? 
    • What factors contribute to your current level of satisfaction? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify aspects of your job that you find fulfilling and seek to do more of them. 
    • Discuss with your manager about changing your role in ways to increase your intrinsic interest and satisfaction. 
I strive to expand and challenge my mind in my work
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Intellectual engagement and continuous learning are key to personal growth. 
    • Mental Health: Challenging your mind can boost self-esteem and reduce stress. 
    • Performance: Continuous learning can enhance job performance and career growth. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What is driving your response here? 
    • In an ideal world, are there new skills you would like to learn and experiences you would like to have? 
    • What can you do to make space for these? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Set specific learning goals and seek out training or development opportunities. 
    • Engage in continuous learning through courses, workshops, or self-study. 
    • Look into Job Crafting and identify the techniques that appeal most to help you feel more stimulated, e.g., try ‘relational crafting’, which involves expanding and stimulating your mind by building new or deeper relationships with colleagues who have different views and skills to your own. 

Self-Coaching Guide: Intellectual Engagement & Flow at Home

I use my spare time in ways that stimulate my mind
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Engaging in stimulating activities can improve cognitive functioning and overall mental health. 
    • Mental Health: Using spare time to challenge your mind can help you actively recover from work-related stressors. 
    • Performance: Stimulating activities can enhance creativity and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • How do you use your spare time? 
    • How might you benefit from engaging in activities that stimulate and challenge your mind? 
    • What might this look like for you? 
  • Action Strategies:
    • Identify activities that you find intellectually stimulating, such as reading, puzzles, or learning a new skill. 
    • Schedule regular time for these activities to ensure they become a part of your routine. 
    • Explore new hobbies that challenge your cognitive abilities and keep your mind active. 
When I'm not working, I struggle to find activities that pique my interest or hold my attention*
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Having diverse interests outside of work can help prevent you from burnout and improve your overall satisfaction with life. 
    • Mental Health: Engaging in non-work interests can reduce your stress and enhance your mental health. 
    • Performance: Diversifying the range of activities you are involved with can improve your creativity and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What prevents you from finding activities that hold your interest? 
    • What activities have held your interest in the past? How valuable were these? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Reflect on past hobbies or interests that you enjoyed and consider revisiting them. 
    • Experiment with new activities to discover something that piques your interest. 
    • Join clubs or groups related to your interests to stay motivated and engaged. 
I ensure I've got a creative outlet, artistic channel or novel interest I can enjoy that's unrelated to my work
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Creative activities can activate the brain’s pleasure-reward system, enhancing mood and reducing stress. 
    • Mental Health: Engaging in creative pursuits can improve mental health and overall wellbeing. 
    • Performance: Creativity can enhance your cognitive problem-solving skills and innovation. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What creative/artistic activities do you like to engage in? 
    • How might you benefit from time spent exploring creative endeavours? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify creative and cultural activities that interest you, such as painting, writing, or playing a musical instrument. 
    • Dedicate regular time to these activities to ensure they become a part of a non-work routine. 
    • Explore new creative hobbies to keep your mind engaged and stimulated. 
I'm curious to learn about new and complex topics that make me think deeply or differently
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Lifelong learning can maintain intellectual sharpness and stave off cognitive decline. 
    • Mental Health: Engaging with new topics can boost mental health and overall wellbeing. 
    • Performance: Continuous learning can enhance cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • Outside of work, what topics are you curious about? 
    • What ways might you explore and learn more about these topics? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify political, environmental, geographical, humanitarian, economic, social, cultural, historical, technological, health, biological, horticultural, current affairs, lifestyle and environmental topics that interest you and seek out resources to learn more, such as books, online courses, or workshops. 
    • Join discussion groups or clubs related to your interests to stay motivated and engaged. 
    • Set specific learning goals to keep yourself challenged and intellectually stimulated. 
In my moments of spare time, I opt for activities that engage my brain (e.g. sudoku, crosswords or strategy games)
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Engaging in brain-stimulating activities can protect against cognitive decline. 
    • Mental Health: These activities can be fun and improve overall mental health. 
    • Performance: Regular mental exercises can enhance cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • In what ways do you engage your brain at home? 
    • What ways could you engage your brain more? 
    • What ways would you enjoy? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Incorporate brain-stimulating activities into your daily routine, such as puzzles, strategy games, or learning a new language. 
    • Challenge yourself with new and more complex activities to keep your mind sharp. 
    • Join online communities or clubs that focus on brain-stimulating activities to stay motivated. 
    • Monitor the amount of time you spend on activities that are less protective or damaging to your cognitive health, and aim to reduce where appropriate. 
When I'm not working, I feel bored*
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Boredom can lead to dissatisfaction and decreased mental health. 
    • Mental Health: Engaging in diverse activities can reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing. 
    • Performance: Having varied interests can enhance creativity and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • Why do you feel bored outside of work? 
    • What would you like to feel instead of bored? 
    • What activities or interests could evoke those feelings for you? 
    • Might you have an unhealthy dependency on your work for mental stimulation?  
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Reflect on past hobbies or interests that you enjoyed and consider revisiting them. 
    • Experiment with new activities to discover what piques your interest. 
    • Join clubs or groups related to your interests to stay motivated and engaged. 
    • Monitor how easy or challenging it is for you to detach from work mentally and psychologically; if this is difficult, take steps to build your tolerance. 
Outside of work, I intentionally pursue endeavours and challenges that are different from those I encounter professionally
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Pursuing diverse activities can build confidence and broaden your self-image.
    • Mental Health: Engaging in different challenges can improve mental health and overall wellbeing.
    • Performance: Diverse experiences can enhance creativity and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What holds you back from engaging in different activities outside of work? 
    • How might prioritising time on interests outside of work positively impact your cognitive health and other wellbeing dimensions? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify activities that are different from your professional challenges and make time for them. 
    • Set specific goals for these activities to stay motivated and engaged. 
    • Explore new hobbies or interests to keep your mind stimulated and challenged. 
I have at least one intellectually stimulating pastime that helps me to detach from work effectively
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Having stimulating pastimes can help you detach from work and reduce stress. 
    • Mental Health: Engaging in hobbies can improve mental health and overall wellbeing. 
    • Performance: Stimulating pastimes can enhance cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What intellectually stimulating pastimes do you have? 
    • How do these pastimes help you detach from work? 
    • What new pastimes could you explore? 
  • Action Strategies:
    • Identify hobbies or interests that you find intellectually stimulating and make time for them regularly. 
    • Avoid passive activities like watching TV or scrolling social media, which may not optimise cognitive wellbeing. 
    • Join clubs or groups related to your interests to stay motivated and engaged. 
Apart from the skills and expertise I have developed for work, I ensure I have others unique to my personal life (e.g. playing a musical instrument, learning a new language, learning to cook)
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Lifelong learning can add meaning to life and build confidence. 
    • Mental Health: Engaging in new skills can boost mental health and overall wellbeing. 
    • Performance: Learning new skills can enhance cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What barriers exist to engaging in learning/skill development outside of work? 
    • What topics and activities do you value from engaging in? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify new skills or hobbies you are interested in and seek out resources to learn more. 
    • Set specific learning goals to stay motivated and engaged. 
    • Join classes or workshops to develop new skills and meet like-minded individuals. 
I have a hobby I find so fascinating and mentally absorbing that I can easily lose track of time
  • Relevance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Engaging in mentally stimulating hobbies can lead to a state of flow, where you are fully immersed and lose track of time.
    • Mental Health: Flow can reduce stress and increase feelings of accomplishment. 
    • Performance: Flow enhances focus and productivity. 
  • Reflective Prompts:  
    • What hobbies do you find mentally absorbing? 
    • How do these hobbies help you detach from work and reduce stress? 
    • What new hobbies could you explore to achieve a state of flow? 
  • Action Strategies:  
    • Identify hobbies that you find mentally absorbing and make time for them regularly. 
    • Create a distraction-free environment to help you achieve a state of flow. 
    • Flow is a state of complete immersion in an activity, where you lose track of time and feel fully engaged and energised. This concept, introduced by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is associated with high levels of satisfaction and productivity.  
    • Achieving flow can enhance your overall wellbeing, reduce stress, and improve performance. To get into a state of flow, you need to balance the challenge of the task with your skill level, set clear goals, and minimize distractions. 
    • Balance the challenge of the hobby with your skill level to maintain engagement and enjoyment. 
I have limited motivation or capacity to concentrate on doing anything new, exciting, or different outside of work*
  • Importance to Wellbeing: 
    • Psychological: Engaging in new and exciting activities can boost motivation and overall mental health. 
    • Mental Health: Trying new things can reduce stress and improve cognitive function. 
    • Performance: Exploring new activities can enhance creativity and problem-solving skills. 
  • Reflective Prompts: 
    • What gets in the way of you focusing on something new and exciting? 
    • Is it a lack of energy/motivation or time/capacity? How do you differentiate between the two? 
    • How might responses to other dimensions (e.g., Resilience & Equanimity; Balance & Boundaries; Vitality & Energy) provide more insight into this result? 
    • How might engaging in new and exciting activities support your wellbeing? 
  • Action Strategies: 
    • Identify Barriers: Reflect on what specifically prevents you from engaging in new activities. Is it time, energy, or interest? 
    • Set Small Goals: Start with small, manageable goals to gradually build your motivation and capacity. For example, dedicate 10 minutes a day to a new hobby. 
    • Explore Interests: Reflect on past interests or hobbies that you enjoyed and consider revisiting them. Experiment with new activities to discover what piques your interest. 
    • Active vs. Passive Rest: Consider how engaging in an interest may help you better manage stress and recover actively from work and life demands, in comparison to more passive restorative practices (e.g., on the couch, scrolling social media). 
    • Join Communities: Engage with clubs or groups related to your interests to stay motivated and find support. Social interaction can also enhance your motivation and enjoyment. 
    • Balance Challenge and Skill: To achieve a state of flow, balance the challenge of the activity with your skill level. This can help maintain engagement and enjoyment. 

Wellbeing Strategies and Actions

Wellbeing Tips for Intellectual Engagement & Flow - Working Well

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Wellbeing Tips for Intellectual Engagement & Flow - Living Well

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Tip:

Always worth exploring in connection with Meaning, Purpose & Direction; a lack of Intellectual Engagement & Flow is likely to impact Meaning, Purpose & Direction at work.

We define Intellectual Engagement & Flow through their five F’s… “the FEELING of being in a psychological state of effortless FOCUS and high attention where we experience FULFILMENT from being positively captivated and lost in absorption, with the FREEDOM of choosing to pit our brains to any challenging activity we feel well-matched where the net feeling is one of FUN and enjoyment rather than stress”.