Funny, how you ask a question (or three) and "poof" the answers appear. The last posting included these queries:

1. How the heck do you pronounce Csikszentmihalyi?
2. Can the fields of science and psychology provide data to support the recuperative powers of creative engagement?
   
3. Can healing be quantified?

Since then, I've learned that the correct pronunciation is Check-sent-me-high and, speak of the devil, Csikszentmihalyi did a study in the 70's to determine the place of flow in everyday life. Previously I shared Csikszentmihalyi's definition of flow, which is,"the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter." At its core, flow is the moment of enjoying a task. This can be a deeply artistic and creative moment or as simple as enjoying doing the dishes. In the study, Csikszentmihalyi asked participants to record all of the "non-instrumental" tasks they did every day; small activities they enjoyed but were not under obligation to complete. Then, the big whammy:
Beginning {morning of target date},when you wake up and until 9 PM,we would like you to act in a normal way, doing all the things you have to do, but not doing anything that is "play"or "non-instrumental."
After only 48 hours, the study was halted because, "the general deterioration in mood was so advanced that prolonging the experiment would have been inadvisable." The study found that in only 48 hours participants began showing signs of clinical depression and anxiety disorders. We are hard-wired to require doses of enjoyment...of flow throughout our daily lives.

Research in Social & Administrative Pharmacy quotes 1.99 billion spent in the US alone in 2005 for anti-depressants. Why are art classes not prescribed? I'm by no means saying forget the pharmaceuticals; there is definitely a place and a time. However, this study suggests that we have more options for transforming our own experience. I take two things from this study:

1. Play fosters engagement and enjoyment and keeps us sane!
2. I cannot allow myself to prioritize the fun out of my work day. I am cheating myself and I become a less productive (much less cheerful) version of me.
   

In the corporate realm, many projects live or die based on ROI--proving a Return On Investment. I'm in training, for which it is very hard to pin down ROI. How do you prove that a class on customer service improved overall service provided? Or that the increase in productivity is a result of a seminar? Healing is another tricksy ROI. Did I get better from Lyme because of pharmaceuticals? Art? Juicing? All of the above? I can't prove a percentage of healing to attribute to flow, but the study above shows that flow is not a luxury. There are serious repurcussions if we ignore our need to play andI hope science and medicine continue ferreting out proof.

*Footnote: I found this study in reading Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. This book is amazing, inspiring, and daunting. You'll hear more soon!