I just got back from a hard run: 5.67 miles with an average pace of 7 minutes and 45 seconds per mile to be exact. This was much faster than I normally go, which required a lot of focus from me to breathe well, maintain good form, and stay centered as I pushed myself to hold steady. With my heart racing over 160 beats per minute, there was not much room to focus on anything else. In the moment of exerting myself like this, I fully felt the strain and tension that came from bargaining with my body to see what it was willing to do and for how long. The negotiation on this occasion lasted for 44 minutes before I completed the run and called it a day.
Upon finishing, I placed my hands on my head and stayed locked into my breathing to ease out of the run, walking toward the place where I stretch. I spent a couple of minutes doing just this: walking slowly and breathing.
Slow inhale through the nose.
Quick inhale through the nose at the top to get some extra air.
Long exhale through the nose.
Repeat.
I get to the area where I stretch and continue focusing on my breath through the nose. I do arm circles, I touch my toes, I do some twists, spider lunges, and runners lunges, and then I hold a squat for 90 seconds, closing my eyes and just breathing in that position. When I’m done, I slowly walk home, where I take off my shoes and get in the shower, continuing with my breathing.
Slow inhale through the nose.
Quick inhale through the nose at the top to get some extra air.
Long exhale through the nose.
Repeat.
This whole process doesn’t involve a phone, computer, music, podcasts, or TV. I don’t even look at my watch. It’s simply me, my body, and my mind, plus a pair of socks, my running shoes, and some shorts. And somehow, it’s the ritual that brings more pleasurable moments and optimal states than anything else I’ve experienced. The famous “runners high” emerges once again, leaving me with immense peace and joy, which I earned on the other side of a high effort and high focus period. It is in these moments that I am more present than ever, because they force me to be in the here and now. As I said, when our bodies are exerting so much energy, there isn’t much more that fits into the limit of our attention spans.
Some psychologists would call this a “flow” experience, which is when we are optimally challenged. Our skill level appropriately matches the difficulty of the task, pulling the best out of ourselves. You don’t think about time or other responsibilities and topics. You’re solely in the present, doing what you’re doing and nothing else. A sports commentator might say that you’re “in the zone.”
Flow is like another concept in psychology called the “zone of proximal development.” We learn the most when we are being challenged at a level that extends slightly beyond our current level of skill. In other words, we grow the most during flow experiences, which are also the most immersive and rewarding experiences we can access. That’s what being “in the zone” really means. You’re optimally stretching yourself to have an optimal experience.
This applies in everything we do in life, from physical activity to work to how we engage with others in our personal lives. The more time we can spend “in the zone” is the more satisfaction we get from life. Perhaps that’s why I like the phrase so much.
The extra beauty of it is that getting “in the zone” in these separate parts of our lives feed into each other. They’re not so separate after all. I’ll share a couple examples to show what I mean by that.
Each time I run, I experience a form of the euphoric state I described from my run today. That state makes me more loving and caring when I interact with my wife. I am much more present with her after a run than I would have been otherwise, feeling my love and appreciation for her more intensely. If an issue arises, I’m able to navigate it with greater ease, approaching her with love as my primary driver.
The more time I spend in a focused state while working during the day, the more centered I am during my workouts, leading to better performance and enjoyment from being more present in the moment. The quality of my work is also better when I’m more present and focused when doing it. That leaves me feeling greater satisfaction from my output, leaving me with a more positive sense of self. And to complete the circle, I am able to focus better and I do better work when I take care of my body by getting in the gym or running like I did today.
The most promising part of this is that this state of being “in the zone” is accessible to us at any time. Of course, it’s easier to access the more we practice, but it’s always there. When we know it’s there and invest into getting there, we have a clear path to better lives. There are many more pieces to the puzzle, but I have come to see that this one is fundamental. For your sake, I hope you can resonate with reading this, and if not, I sincerely wish that you know and believe that it’s not too late.
Until next time,
Matt