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Forum: People & markets<br />
Flow experience<br />
Everything in flow<br />
The pursuit of happiness is a fluid process. Whatever activity you are absorbed in.<br />
In the early 1970s, American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was the first<br />
to scientifically study the experience of single-minded immersion in a task. “Flow<br />
experience” is what he called the state of uninhibited, full involvement in the<br />
process of an activity, over which – despite a high challenge level – the person has a<br />
sense of personal control.<br />
“A fluid process, in which everything seems to flow from an inner logic,” is how Falko<br />
Rheinberg from the University of Potsdam describes it. The origins lie in biomechanical<br />
processes of the human<br />
brain. In flow, both cerebral hemispheres<br />
are activated and in synchronization.<br />
The perception of a person in flow is<br />
sharpened, exceptionally clear and fully<br />
focused on whatever they are doing.<br />
The Potsdam psychologists have determined<br />
the highest flow values for the<br />
activities “sport and movement”, “playing<br />
a musical instrument” and “sex”.<br />
The lowest flow values, by contrast, were<br />
attributed to the categories “musing/<br />
ennui of depression”, “biding one’s time”<br />
and “passive free-riding”.<br />
Economic forecasts<br />
<strong>Co</strong>nfidence is growing<br />
The positive economic signals of the last few months are kindling grow-<br />
04 DACHSER magazine<br />
ing optimism among Europe’s freight forwarders. 59 percent of<br />
the business managers surveyed by Danske Bank for the<br />
“European Freight Forwarding Index” are forecasting a<br />
renewed increase in transport volumes over the<br />
coming months.<br />
Although they are seeing growth in air and<br />
sea freight, the best prospects are in road<br />
haulage, where the barometer rose by 25<br />
points to 78 between July and September<br />
<strong>2009</strong> alone. While confidence over the past<br />
months has been highest among German<br />
forwarders, now the mood is also picking up in neighbouring<br />
countries. The most optimism can be felt in the UK, Sweden and the Benelux<br />
countries. Danske Bank concludes: “We can see clear signs that the<br />
economic situation in Europe is getting better.”<br />
MOTIVA
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