Imagine the moment before running a race. Deep breaths behind the starting line keep your pounding heart at bay, and every second seems to be an eternity; yet, as soon as the starting gun sounds and your feet hit the track, every thought slides from your mind. You are focused and sure, challenging yourself to achieve something you know is right within your reach. Before you know it, time has flown past, the race is over, although your chest is heaving, you barely notice that you are tired.
 
According to positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, what you experience in that moment is known as flow state, defined as an “optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform at our best.