This phrase often conveys a positive emotional state due to a strong personal connection with the activity. At the art gallery, she was clearly in her element.
Pro Tip 2/3
Expertise Implication
Use it when someone not only enjoys something but also shows expertise or talent in it. Once he starts debating, he's in his element.
Pro Tip 3/3
Natural Setting
It suggests a person is participating in an activity that feels as natural to them as their natural habitat. In the science lab, the students were in their element.