AI and Flow State: The Mundane Tasks We Might Miss

I was at an event last week, and as expected the conversation turned to AI.

People were talking about all the usual benefits. Saving time and cutting down admin. Getting rid of repetitive tasks to free us up to focus on “higher-value” work. And, on the surface, that all sounds great.

But it got me thinking about flow state. Where we are completely emersed in an activity, usually one we have done many times before, one that is structured and repetitive, and a realised these are many of the tasks being delegated to AI.

One of the people I spoke to mentioned that AI seems to mean (despite being able to do  more for them) they feel like they are working harder, they feel more stressed and as if they are juggling more. And what if those repetitive, mundane tasks are not as bad as we make them sound. In fact, what if we need them to reach a certain “flow state” for our own mental health and happiness.

What happens we we completely remove mundane tasks?

So what happens when AI takes that away? Well I guess we are all going to find out over the next few years.

AI is often presented as a tool that will free us from the boring bits of work. And in many cases, it will. There are plenty of tasks that are slow, frustrating, repetitive, and not especially meaningful. If AI can reduce that burden, that is clearly useful.

But not all repetitive work is wasted work.

Some repetitive tasks build skills and understanding. Some help people ease into deeper thinking. Some create space for reflection allowing us to review our thoughts and improve our outputs.

If we remove those tasks without thinking carefully about what replaces them, we may accidentally take away something people value.

Will we free up more time?

There is also a risk that the promise of “freeing up time” does not actually lead to more freedom and that’s the part we do not yet know.

AI may help our mental wellbeing by lightening the load, but only if we make sure we do not replace that work with activities that are more likely to increase our stress levels.

Ultimately the perfect replacement for these flow state tasks would be a hobby that allows us to focus and operate on auto pilot. One that allows a type of focus that is enjoyable and has benefits to our brains.

Will this happen in reality? Probably not, especially in what is going to be an even more competitive landscape! People will continue to work harder and push the envelope to get ahead.

The Decsion

Ultimately this will be a decision that you and your staff have to make. Do you want to take some time back or fill it with mind taxing management type tasks!

And what happens to the people who prefer the structured, repeatable parts of their job?

Not everyone wants every working day to be filled with strategy, creativity, decision-making, and complex problem-solving. Not everyone wants to spend their day managing AI tools, reviewing outputs, or jumping between abstract tasks.

Some people find energy in that kind of work, whilst others find it exhausting.

Ultimately it will be down to you and what you choose to delegate to AI and the impact it has your won well being. If you start to feel the stress levels rising then try to come up with more tasks to break up your day that may involve running on instinct and muscle memory. Or even work a shorter week if you dare!