Remain in Flow while Taking Breaks

How can you remain in Flow and still take breaks?

When I’m deep in my writing,
sometimes I hyperfocus so intensely that I forget I even have a body.

🥤 My water sits empty
🚻 I’ve needed a bathroom break for an hour
😬 And there’s this quiet fear whispering:

“If you step away now, you’ll lose everything you were about to do.”

This isn’t laziness or lack of discipline.
It’s the brain running an ancient program.

⚔️ The Zeigarnik Effect: A Double-Edged Sword

The Zeigarnik Effect is the tension you feel when you have an unfinished task. It exists to help us follow through until we finish. For example, a hunter tracking their prey must maintain focus until the hunt is complete.

🗡️ Edge 1: The Good

• When you take a break mid-task, your mind keeps working on the material while you rest.

• This is why taking a break while studying actually helps your brain integrate what you’ve just learned.

🗡️ Edge 2: The Bad

• Too many “open tabs” in your brain can create overwhelm.

• For ADHD brains especially, that tension can also lock you in place, afraid to step away—even when your body needs you to.

❤️ Befriending the Sword

Instead of fighting this instinct, I now pause and say:

“Thank you, Zeigarnik Effect, for keeping me focused. I trust you to work in the background while I take a break.”

It can feel counterintuitive at times—but it allows me to come back clearer, calmer, and sharper.

➡️ This is an essential step in transforming Hyperfocus into Flow State.

🏆 Using Zeigarnik for Leadership

When my husband and I owned our restaurant, handing off tasks to the right people closed the Zeigarnik loop in my brain, freeing me up to lead more powerfully.

✅ We hired amazing people
✅ Gave them tools to succeed
✅ Trusted them to deliver
✅ They felt empowered
✅ Delegating to them closed the open tab in my brain

🔄 How Will You Wield the Sword?

The Zeigarnik Effect can help you…
✔ Stay focused.
✔ Step away without fear of losing momentum.
✔ Delegate confidently.

👉 What’s one way you can make this double-edged sword work for you today?

Soon I will have room for two new clients. Watch this space!