We often feel ikigai when we're in a state of flow. When we're fully involved in an activity, we enter a state of flow. Once we're in a state of flow, we can feel ikigai; and we experience that because of our sense of coherence.
Nick Kemp explains how a sense of coherence, ikigai, and flow are relational.
When can we feel ikigai? We can often feel ikigai when we’ve reached the flow state. What is a flow state?
The flow state is an optimum state of mind when we’re fully engaged in an activity. Things like sports, when we’re playing music, when we’re playing games, and even in religious activity.
What’s crucial about the flow state is there is a challenge to be met and that we or one has the skills to make that challenge. So it shouldn’t be something that’s too easy and it shouldn’t be an activity that’s too hard.
Now, when we reach flow, when we’re in a state of flow, we experience ikigai at the same time. There is some research that backs this up, and it relates to the coping capacity known as sense of coherence.
The model of sense of coherence has three constructs: comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. So when we are faced with a challenge, we can comprehend and anticipate the obstacles or the difficulties we’ll face.
Then manageability, we can use our skills and resources to overcome those challenges. Then with meaningfulness, from the experience of overcoming or facing those challenges, we can have feelings of life satisfaction, life affirmation, and have a general sense that the challenge was worth making.
So ikigai, sense of coherence, and flow are relational. When we’re in a flow state, we feel ikigai, and behind this state is this coping capacity known as sense of coherence.
If you like to learn more about this, check out my coach certification program, and you can learn more about how reaching a flow state helps you feel ikigai. That’s the most important thing, ikigai is not something you achieve, it’s not something you earn, it’s something you feel.