This might be an unfamiliar term for some of us, we are used to hearing about physical flexibility whereby you are lucky enough to have your body allow you to bend it however you want without cracking bones or tearing muscles.
Mental flexibility though is a whole different story and it is recommended to be important for your holistic mental health.
Research published by the Springer Link publication titled Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology defines mental flexibility as the ability to adapt to changing situations by shifting thoughts or actions. It is said to involve perceptual, cognitive, and behavioural responses, allowing individuals to abandon previous patterns to generate better alternatives. “On cognitive tests, mental flexibility can refer to the ability to track and systematically alternate between two response sets (e.g., as measured by fluency tests, the trail-making tests) or to switch between attending or responding to different concepts or modalities (e.g., card sorting tests, Stroop colour-word test, and interference tests).”
According to Success Performance Solutions, people with high mental flexibility embrace paradoxes and contradictions and are innovative and adaptive. They are said to see possibilities in working on several projects at once, switching between conflicting agendas with ease.
On the other hand, this publication states that those with little mental flexibility often repeatedly surrender their objectives in the face of conflicting demands. “They feel constantly “up against it,” compromising their goals and ambitions against competing demands. They often prefer to pursue one clearly defined goal or objective, relying on grit and perseverance alone, to overcome setback after setback.”
Several health publications state the reasons why you should be flexible mentally and the benefits of it:
Boosting Brainpower:
- Psychology Today mentions that mental flexibility is said to clear away “brain fog” and compensate for declining memory.
Adapting to Setbacks:
- Psychological flexibility helps in adapting to work environment setbacks, states the above publication.
Reducing Stress:
- The DW Simpson publication states that being mentally flexible reduces overwhelm and enhances control over workload.
- It is also said to promote balance in work and personal life and increase job satisfaction as well as overall happiness.
Enhancing Creativity:
- According to Smartick, mental flexibility enhances creative problem-solving abilities.
- It is also believed to help you see multiple paths to a goal and increase the likelihood of finding the right path.
