I don't think flow is some sacred state that requires specific conditions for most people, and I don't think it's broken by bathroom breaks, fetching coffee, or

I don't think flow is some sacred state that requires specific conditions for most people, and I don't think it's broken by bathroom breaks, fetching coffee, or even short, rote social pleasantries. Most people can achieve it. As for flow, I think it's like sleep in its onset. You can't force yourself into the state, but if you make the conditions right, it'll usually start in 10 minutes and fully set in within 40-60. What makes flow impossible in most work environments is arrogant, short-sighted managers (there, I said it) who ask for detailed, impromptu status reports several times a day. They're so used to email clients and web services that can be checked 33 times per day, with no degradation in performance, that they think they can pull that shit off on the people working for them, and it's not that way. Establish a sane, regular reporting schedule and fucking stick to it.