Flow
Total absorption in an activity, where attention, action and feedback lock together and self-consciousness drops away.
Full definition of Flow →:: COMPARE ::
FlowvsAnxiety
The short answer
Neighbours in Csikszentmihalyi's own channel model. Challenge above skill produces anxiety; skill above challenge produces boredom; flow is the narrow band between. That model is precisely the part now under measurement dispute.
Side by side
| Aspect | Flow | Anxiety |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge vs skill | Matched | Challenge higher |
| Self-consciousness | Absent | Acute |
| Sense of time | Distorted | Slow |
| Sought out | Yes | No |
What each one means
Anxiety
The contrast above sets out how Anxiety differs from Flow on the points that actually matter.