Flow: The Ancestral State For Modern Productivity

Today in The Sinews of Flow we take on Flow State, the most ancient modern state around.

Endless to-do lists. Constant notifications. Multitasking. They're supposedly the tools of modern productivity -- but they aren’t helping you, they’re robbing you. They keep you in a cycle of shallow focus, distracting you from what really matters.

But there’s another way—a natural, deeply satisfying rhythm your body already knows how to find. That way is flow state. Flow state is a mental state of complete absorption, where your focus sharpens, distractions disappear, and effort feels effortless. It’s the peak of productivity and creativity, where your mind and body work in perfect harmony.

Flow isn’t just a better way to work; it’s the way your body and mind were designed to thrive. You have ancestors who regularly used flow state as part of their daily life. And here’s the kicker: you’ve been living without it, you modern human you, and it’s making you miserable.

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Welcome to The Sinews of Flow, a series about rediscovering focus and flow as the most powerful states for productivity and fulfillment. Together, we’ll uncover how flow reconnects you to your ancestral rhythm and unlocks your potential to thrive in the modern world. The Sinews of Flow is created and written by Katherine R. Lieber of TitaniumBlue LLC.

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Flow State: Your Ancient Superpower, Hijacked by Modern Life

Flow is your ancestral birthright. It’s how your ancestors survived and thrived. But modern life? It’s built to deny you that experience entirely. Let’s talk about what flow state really is, why you’re starving for it without even realizing it, and how you can reclaim it.

Flow isn’t some new productivity hack. While the term "flow state" itself was introduced in 1975 by psychologist Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi, the seminal author on optimal experience (i.e. flow), the state itself reaches back into the mists of ancestral time -- so, the term is modern, the state is ancient. Flow is wired into your ancestral DNA. Imagine the focused clarity of an early human tracking prey across the plains. Every step is deliberate, every decision sharp, the mind fully absorbed in the task. This wasn’t optional—it was survival. And in those moments, their brains lit up with neurochemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine, sharpening their senses, fueling their energy, and creating a seamless connection between thought and action.

But it wasn’t all about the hunt. Flow was there in the quiet focus of crafting tools, the rhythm of storytelling, and the deep connection of rituals. These were moments of alignment, where purpose and effort felt effortless. Flow wasn’t something our ancestors sought. It was a daily rhythm that anchored their lives in meaning and mastery.

Now, think about your day. How many times do you feel that kind of alignment? Probably never. And it’s not your fault. Modern life has hijacked your superpower.

Denying Flow: Modern “Productivity” Systems Are Tailor-Made to Keep You Stuck

Here’s the hard truth: the systems you rely on for productivity are the reason you’re not productive. Emails, notifications, and endless task-switching aren’t tools. They’re traps. Every ding and buzz pulls your brain out of focus, forcing you to reset again and again. You never build momentum and you can't ever engage in the complete surrender that embodies optimal flow.

And then there’s culture and modern society, which are complete flow destroyers. Multitasking is praised, busyness is glorified, and “grind culture” tells you that constant, relentless, promethean effort equals success. You're praised for answering emails immediately, not for disappearing into some obscure (if insanely productive) multi-hour session.

Flow doesn’t work with bells, buzzes, and dings. Flow thrives in depth, spaciousness, and focus. All the things modern productivity systems destroy.

The result? You’re busy, sure, who isn't. But you’re not fulfilled. Your day is a blur of shallow tasks and gray work, leaving you exhausted and wondering why you’re never really getting anywhere.

Evolution of Fragmentation: How We Lost the Rhythm

It wasn’t always like this. In the early 1900s, much of life still moved at a pace that aligned with the body’s natural rhythms. Whether working on a farm, crafting in a workshop, or solving problems in early industrial settings, tasks required focus and physical engagement. Even leisure—reading, connecting with others, reflecting—was immersive. People weren’t rushing from one thing to the next.

By the mid-20th century, things had definitely shifted. Industrialization brought efficiency, but also compartmentalization. Work became segmented and repetitive, more about the clock than the craft. Add in consumer culture, introducing endless distractions. Technology like radio and TV further fragmented our attention, divvying stories into segments with cliffhangers so we'd stay tuned while we were frantically being advertised to in 20 or 30-second increments.

Fast forward to the 2000s, and the rhythm was gone. Smartphones, social media, and constant connectivity took over. Tasks became smaller and more scattered, leisure turned into endless scrolling, and the world became a storm of interruptions since you and your phone were now joined at the hip. The spaciousness that once supported flow had vanished.

Starving for Flow: What Your Brain and Body Are Missing

Here’s where it gets serious: without flow, your brain is starving. Neurochemically, you’re missing out on the dopamine that drives motivation, the norepinephrine that fuels energy, and the endorphins that bring calm satisfaction. These aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re essential for focus, energy, and fulfillment.

Think about the last day you spent in a miserable haze of gray work, or as we call it on our team, "cookie-crumble work". That's a day spent glancing at Teams (any notifications? anyone need you?), glancing at Outlook (any new emails? any emergencies?), doing a few minutes of work (getting stuff done, kind of), checking email on your own phone (since your work day feels so majorly unsatisfying, maybe something fun or interesting in your email?), and then making the whole round again with your eyes and mind? Eight hours later you wonder why your day felt so miserable. Your brain never got any big reward, just the "crumbles" from the bottom of the "cookie bag".

And it’s not just your brain. Behaviorally, the lack of flow leaves your days feeling scattered and empty. Without times of deep focus, even the busiest day feels unproductive. You’re exhausted but unfulfilled. You’ve worked hard, but accomplished very nothing.

This starvation doesn’t happen all at once—it creeps in. And the worst part? You might not even realize what you’re missing, because society has convinced you this anti-rhythm is normal.

Own Your Power: Flow Is Your Forgotten Legacy

Let’s be clear: reclaiming flow can mean breaking the rules of modern life, because so little of modern life is about flow. Reclaiming flow is not about squeezing in more tasks or hacking your schedule—it’s about redesigning how you work and live, both how you regard, and how you handle, your time.

Begin with spaciousness. If there's any place flow doesn't happen, it's in five-minute bursts between multiple meetings. Flow requires surrender, and surrender requires uninterrupted blocks of time—two, three, even five hours where you can immerse yourself in meaningful work. Clear everything else off your plate during these periods. Silence notifications, close tabs, and create an environment that supports focus.

If your first response to that is "how would I ever carve out 2 hours for this in my work day, much less 5?" then you're realizing the very problem we're talking about. Modern life isn't built for flow. And people will probably look at you like "you want what?" But flow is essential, and it's also your essential productive state.

Next, protect your time fiercely. We're taught from birth to let others waste our most precious reasource, time. So reclaiming flow isn’t easy—it’s an act of quiet rebellion. You’ll need to push back against the constant demands of others, the culture of busyness, and even your own habits. But the reward is worth it: clarity, purpose, and the ability to produce work that truly matters.

Finally, design your world to support flow. Keep your surroundings calm and organized, so when you come out of flow, which is a lot like coming back out of hyperspace, you’re not jolted back into surroundings of chaos (messy office, papers everywhere, etc.).

Flow Is Your Ancient Birthright

Flow isn’t just a productivity tool—it’s your natural state. It’s how your mind and body were designed to operate, how your ancestors thrived, and how you can reclaim a sense of mastery and fulfillment in your life today.

The tools are already within you. Flow isn’t something you have to chase—it’s something you allow. While it takes time to swim against our fragment-heavy culture, the rewards are worth it. Flow state nourishes your mind and your perceptions, and it allows you to immerse yourself in what truly matters. When you do, you’ll find that flow isn’t just a way to work—it’s a way to live.

Cheers,

Katherine