What Is Cognitive / Mental Flexibility?
Mental flexibility is like your brain’s ability to handle new and unexpected things. It’s also about changing how you think about things.
It’s a little bit like when you change the way you walk to go in a different direction. Or when you change lanes while driving to stay safe.
But with your thinking, it’s when you change how you’re thinking to fit what’s happening. It’s like being able to switch your thinking like you switch lanes while driving.
For example, if something isn’t working, you can change how you’re thinking to come up with a new solution. That’s cognitive flexibility!
Benefits of mental Flexibility:
Many studies show that being able to be flexible in how you think is really good for you. This can be helpful in different areas of your life, such as work, relationships, and how you feel mentally. Here are some benefits:
- Make Your Brain Stronger: Doing things that need you to be mentally flexible can make your brain work better. For example, changing your routine a bit, like going a different way when you shop, can help your brain stay sharp.
- Handle Problems Better: If things don’t go well at work, being mentally flexible helps you deal with them. It’s a bit like being able to recover when things don’t go the way you expected.
- Less Stress: When you’re mentally flexible, you’re less stressed. You know you can change and adjust, so you don’t feel as overwhelmed. People who find it hard to change how they think usually feel more stressed, unlike those who are willing to explore new perspectives.
- More Energy: Being able to change your thinking can give you more energy. When you figure out a surprise problem, it makes you feel strong and like you have a clear purpose.
- Be More Creative: If you can change how you think, you become better at solving problems in creative ways. Some say that being mentally flexible is just another way of saying you’re good at coming up with creative solutions. Also, when you realize there are different ways to reach a goal, you can find the best one.
- Improve Relationships: Changing your thinking helps you in your relationships. It helps you become better at spending time with others, finding solutions that make everyone happy, and understanding what others are thinking.
So, being open to changing your mind is a really good thing!
Characteristics of Flexibility
Flexibility is made up of a few important things:
- Being Here and Now: To be flexible, it’s important to know what’s happening around you right now. Instead of thinking too much about what happened before or worrying about what’s coming next, flexible people focus on what’s happening at this moment. This helps them choose things that match what they believe in and want to achieve.
- Being Open to New Things: Flexibility also means being ready to try new things and look at situations in different ways. Instead of sticking to the same old routines, flexible people can see things from a fresh perspective and make changes when needed.
- Accepting Feelings: To stay flexible in your mind, you have to be okay with feeling all sorts of emotions, even the ones that are tough. Instead of pushing away these feelings or ignoring them, flexible people accept what they’re feeling, admit their emotions, and find ways to learn and grow from them.
Goldman also mentions that pausing before responding is a useful thing to do when you want to be flexible. If we pause and think, we can better understand a situation. We can remind ourselves to be present, know what we can control, and make choices that really match what we believe in. This helps us avoid acting only based on how we’re feeling in that moment.
Why Being Flexible Helps Your Mind?
Goldman says that being able to change how you think is really good for your mental health. “It can make stress, worry, feeling down, and other mental health problems go down. Also, being more flexible in your thinking can help you feel more confident in yourself and your value. It can even improve your relationships,” she adds.
Flexibility is like a superhero for your mental health. Here’s why:
- Learning and Growing: Being open to new things helps you learn and grow. It also lets you handle changes better, so you can do well in different situations.
- Breaking Free: When you’re mentally flexible, it’s easier to let go of negative thoughts and behaviors. Instead of getting stuck doing things that make situations worse, you can react in smarter ways.
Related…….Staying Positive
- Facing Challenges: Flexibility doesn’t just help you handle problems better; it also helps you deal with tough times. It makes you better at managing stress and feeling good overall. So, when tough stuff happens, you’re ready for it.
Think of flexibility as a special power your brain has to help you feel good and handle the changes that happen in life.
Examples of Being Flexible
Here are some real-life examples of how people can show flexibility:
- Handling Tough Feelings: Imagine someone who often feels very worried. If they can be mentally flexible, they might learn to accept their worry without feeling bad about it. This way, when they’re in situations that usually make them feel anxious, they can stay calmer and stronger.
- Facing Challenges: Let’s say someone loses their job. If they have flexibility, they might stay positive and look for new opportunities instead of getting upset. Being flexible helps them deal with problems and stress better.
- Dealing with Big Emotions: Sometimes, strong feelings can be really strong! With psychological flexibility, people can admit they’re feeling these big emotions without getting overwhelmed by them.
- Feeling Fulfilled: Flexibility also helps people find meaning and purpose in life. It lets them handle all kinds of feelings openly and do things that match their core values – the things that matter most to them.
Being flexible in these ways is like having a special power to handle tough situations, emotions, and decisions.
