What Flow Really Is: Mindfulness, Self-Trust, and the Challenge-Skill Balance with Dr. Sue Jackson

Flow is one of those words that gets used all the time, but what does it actually mean? And more importantly, how do we create more of it in real life, not just in elite sport or peak performance moments?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sue Jackson, one of the world’s leading experts on flow, to talk about what flow really is, how challenge-skill balance works, and why mindfulness, self-efficacy, and trust in your own abilities matter so much in creating these deeply absorbing and meaningful states. We also get into how risk perception shapes flow, why self-consciousness can pull us out of it, and whether neurodivergent hyperfocus is the same thing as flow, or something different.

This conversation felt especially relevant to me because I’ve been exploring the overlap between flow, self-transcendent experiences, mindfulness in action, and those moments when you’re fully immersed in something challenging and alive. We talk about sport, yes—but also parenting, presentations, reading research, fatigue, difficult days, and how to work with your attention when life is messy and real.

Top 5 Takeaways

1. Flow is not just “being in the zone” 
2. Mindfulness supports flow
3. Self-efficacy matters
4. Risk is partly about perception
5. Hyperfocus and flow are not the same thing

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.