Psychological flexibility is essential to adapting to diverse situations and maximising them. It also helps avoid time-wasting disagreements with individuals or reality. In conclusion, flexibility boosts well-being.
Remember that psychological flexibility is not innate. Cultivating it is tough for some. Small workouts can aid this task. Here are some.
"Life is a puppet of time; it changes every moment, changing the inner and outer world so we are never the same."
Aldous Huxley
At first, contemplation seems inert and uninteresting. Digging deeper reveals its incredible energy and how it stirs up your inner self. To contemplate is not to stare and not move. It means observing, concentrating on what you see.
You should simply see and capture, not judge, comment, or form opinions about what you see. Do this daily activity.
Start with simple objects: capture their texture, colour, scent, shape, and intricacy. Continue with an animal you see. You're ready to meet people. This improves mental flexibility.
Rebellion is opposing contemplation but can help you explore your psychological flexibility. This is about demanding convention-breaking insubordination.
What if you purposefully donned mismatched clothes or wrote with the wrong hand? It's not about fighting society, but challenging your habits. This changes your perspective, affecting psychological flexibility.
Too much self-focus causes psychological rigidity. We simply care about our beliefs. When we encounter someone who thinks or feels differently, we experience tension and think the correct thing to do is persuade or deceive them into seeing the world our way.
Learning psychological flexibility by listening attentively is a great idea. Like contemplation, listening is focusing on what the other person says without judging or responding. Active and intentional listening opens you to new perspectives.
Try saying “yes” to everything for a week. First, it will reduce decision-making cognitive fatigue. Second, it tests your rigidity.
Saying yes implies accepting advice, invitations, and criticism. It's hard, but worthwhile.
You get what from this small strategy? You will realize that getting out of your usual paths from time to time can be interesting. You may even discover a better method to conduct things that you adopt into your habit, like a different work route.
Avoiding automatisms and routines improves cognitive flexibility.
Exposure to diverse viewpoints is the best method to develop psychological flexibility. Initial contact is made through talk. Talk to folks beyond your own group occasionally. Especially if you use active listening.
Travelling lets you meet people with various ideas and customs. Empathy improves flexibility and makes your journey more enjoyable. If you can read everything and like it, reading has this effect too.
As you can see, practicing psychological flexibility is not difficult at all. Completely contrary. With will, open-mindedness, and adaptability, you can dilute these rigidities that prevent you from fully enjoying this life journey.