Sports championships, scientific breakthroughs, technological developments — in addition to reams of negative political events, the news is constantly full of stories of amazing achievements few of us could have ever predicted. Records are broken regularly, huge advances are made in the fields of medicine, and innovative solutions have become as common as downloading a new app.

Many of these advancements come from people working in flow states. But what are these flow states? And are they only important to elite athletes or doctors?

While most of us do not work in fields that will markedly affect millions of people, we can achieve flow states in our jobs and subsequently accomplish amazing things with incredible benefits to our health and well-being. Here are four reasons why we should encourage practice working in flow states.

1. Pleasure and lasting satisfaction

In his TED Talk (see video above), Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the father of flow, credited flow states as the secret to happiness. He knew that research continued to show that an increase in wealth or material things does not result in happiness, so he wondered: What makes people happy?

He started by looking at artists who did not expect to be financially successful at their work yet still felt compelled to follow that calling. He found that they could spend their life working toward something that may never result in fame or fortune because the work itself entering flow states was so rewarding. It was working and creating within the flow states that sustained them.

2. Increased creativity

Csikszentmihalyi's team also interviewed some of the greatest writers and poets in the United States. They all described flow states as being effortless. They experienced "spontaneous flow," getting lost in their work without distraction and with almost an out-of-body experience of just creating.

3. Better results, faster

Steven Kotler, author of "The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance," cites research indicating that during flow states, the immune system goes into overdrive and stress hormones are "flushed" from the body.

As a result, Kotler cites his own experience as well as that of the incredible athletes he studied, noting that because of the physical changes that take place within the body during flow, someone who was sick like him was brought back up to normal, while normal people can rise to Superman-like levels.

4. Reduced stress

Research from both Csikszentmihalyi and Kotler shows that flow states reduce stress. We benefit both mentally and physically from entering flow states. They create a positive cycle of satisfaction, creativity, achievement and pleasure.

The bottom line is working in a flow state is so comprehensively beneficial and possible for almost anyone that it is worth practicing. And so much has been written about flow states that regardless of our position there is a guide for how to find, practice and become better at entering flow states.

For more on flow states at work, visit this article: "3 steps leaders can take to achieve and encourage flow."