The importance of mental flexibility

What does mental flexibility mean and what does it enable?

We can call flexibility from the psychological point of view the ability to change, give in and transform depending on the situations that arise. It allows modifying plans, ideas, inventions, and structures if reality presents sufficient reasons to do so. This tool helps in the acceptance of those factors of reality that we do not handle and is especially useful in decision making and conflict resolution.

If the person is essentially inflexible, he will have a previous plan or structure that will be very difficult for him to modify, even when the situation warrants it, and even when adhering to that structure may have negative consequences for himself or others.

This rigidity is often associated with a desire for control and an attitude of omnipotence and difficulty tolerating frustration. Contrary to what is expected, inflexibility increases frustration, because the events that occur do not magically obey our wishes.

Flexibility helps us to be able to redirect our course based on the changes that arise, making our journey more malleable and willing to receive the information that the medium can provide us to rethink our objectives.

Flexibility does not imply over-adaptation.

Flexibility can sometimes be confused with over-adaptation, and that is why it is important to establish some differences.

Overfitting is, as its name implies, excessive adaptation. It implies a position in which the person adapts to everything that is presented to him, being functional or having to solve, origin generate any disruption.

Contrary to what one might think, overfitting is rather rigid. It is imperative to adapt, sometimes at any cost.

Over-adaptation is usually generated from childhood, in environments in which the boy or girl does not find another way of coping than to assume responsibilities, prematurely resolve behaviors, or simply comply with what is demanded of him or her, unconsciously pretending not to disturb or generate conflicts, either due to insufficient resources of the adults in charge, due to situations of marked lack of protection, or simply because there is no room for error or conflict (among many other examples).

Flexibility, on the other hand, allows us to respond in different ways, setting limits or being disruptive when it is necessary to do so. It is an attitude towards the circumstances that arise that allows learning and adapting to the reality that is presented, but not in a rigid way, but contemplating the possibility of saying no and changing position as many times as necessary.

Flexibility helps enormously in the creation and development of projects and allows personal growth because it tries to recognize the different facets and ways of responding that the human being possesses, integrating them, and having them as tools to deploy according to the situation that arises. It is a position, we could say, creative, insofar as it is based on openness to change and on assuming the challenge of discovering or being amazed at new ways of acting and thinking, also increasing the capacity for self-knowledge.

Mental flexibility is associated with emotional expression and communication. It allows the person to be more connected to the environment, and willing to apprehend and metabolize what is necessary to evolve.

 

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