In the Zone
Illustration for the article “It’s great to be ‘in the zone’ — while working, exercising and creating art. Here’s how to get there”, published in The Washington Post in the wellness section and written by science journalist Jessica Wapner.
The article starts from the story of her first half marathon, when, after kilometres of cold and rain, the run suddenly enters a state of total absorption: the “flow”, or “being in it”. From here Wapner draws on the research of Abraham Maslow and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, summarising the typical elements of this state – a challenge matched to one’s skills, clear goals, deep concentration – and the conditions that can favour it. Finally, she connects the ability to “enter the zone” to better performance and lower levels of exhaustion and depression, showing how these moments of full involvement are the ones where we truly feel alive.
Work