Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety: A Guide to Successful Stress Management by Nick Dubin

Author:Nick Dubin [Dubin, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781846429224
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Published: 2009-03-11T14:00:00+00:00

Going with the flow

Individuals with Asperger’s may have an inherent advantage over most neurotypicals when it comes to being mindful. In 1991, human potential psychologist, Miahly Csikzentmihalyi, wrote a groundbreaking book that tried to encapsulate the qualities needed to achieve a “flow” state. He aptly titled his 1991 book Flow.

What is a flow state? It is similar to what athletes call “being in the zone,” where you can seemingly do no wrong. Perhaps you were in a play back in high school and gave the performance of a lifetime. If so, you were in the flow state. Perhaps you wrote a brilliant poem that received first prize in a writing competition. If so, you were in the flow state while writing the poem. Perhaps you gave a speech at a conference and felt as if everything that came out of your mouth was stated in the best possible manner; you weren’t capable of missing a single point. Again, this would be the flow state.

Csikzentmihalyi (1991) described a number of characteristics that typify this wonderful state of being. I will paraphrase them for you:

1. Clear goals: expectations and rules are discernible; goals are attainable and align appropriately with one’s skill set and abilities.

2. Concentrating and focusing: a high degree of concentration within a limited field (the person engaged in the activity will have the opportunity to focus and delve deeply).

3. A loss of self-consciousness: the merging of action and awareness.

4. Distorted sense of time: one’s subjective experience of time is altered.

5. Direct and immediate feedback: successes and failures in the course of the activity are apparent, and behavior adjusts accordingly.

6. Balance between ability level and challenge: the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult.

7. A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.

8. Intrinsic rewards: motivation and action are effortless.

9. Action awareness merging: people become so absorbed in their activity the focus is narrowed down to the activity itself. (Csikszentmihalyi, 1991)

It’s amazing to realize that many of these “flow” characteristics are in evidence among people with Asperger syndrome. Are you able to identify with some of them? Small wonder why so many creative geniuses are thought to have Asperger’s. To be engaged in this kind of creative flow requires a certain amount of mindfulness at the outset. When a person is in the flow state, he or she taps into the present and is fully engaged in whatever the activity. We “Aspies” are inherently good at achieving a flow state. Yet, we are also inherently anxious. This seems contradictory until you realize life—outside of our special interests—does not always make it easy for us to achieve the flow state. However, once we do achieve flow, it’s very difficult to distract us.

Action points

• By becoming aware of your emotional triggers, you can become aware of your hot buttons and learn to relinquish outdated, early maladaptive schemas.

• By staying in the present, we actually perform better, no matter what the task. Stay in the present!

• Individuals with Asperger’s have an inherent

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