Psychological Flexibility? What does this stand for?

Psychological flexibility refers to the capability to respond adaptively and effectively to the requirements of the current moment rather than becoming caught in unproductive habits of thought and behavior. It entails remaining open to new perspectives and a willingness to act, especially when confronted with hardship, discomfort, or ambiguity.

In order to maintain good mental health and well-being, one must be psychologically flexible. It can support people in overcoming adversity and stress, making better decisions, and living more purposeful and rewarding lives. For people struggling with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, it can also be a useful tool.

The relationship between psychological flexibility and psychology

Psychological flexibility is a crucial idea in psychology since it has to do with a person’s capacity to respond appropriately and successfully to the demands of the present. It entails being willing to try new things and prepared to act, despite discomfort or uncertainty.

Adapting psychologically is crucial to one’s mental health and well-being. It can assist people with managing stress and adversity, making better decisions, and living more purposeful and rewarding lives. Additionally, it might be helpful for people struggling with mental health conditions including despair and anxiety.

Additionally, psychological adaptability and resilience, or the capacity to overcome difficulty and stress, are related concepts. Psychologically adaptable individuals have a higher likelihood of being robust and able to deal with difficulties in a balanced and adaptive way.

As a means of enhancing mental health and well-being, psychologists and other mental health practitioners frequently concentrate on assisting people in developing psychological flexibility. To assist people in changing harmful thought and behavior patterns, techniques like mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral therapy may be used.

The key components of psychological flexibility

• Contact with the current moment: Concentrating on and being conscious of the current moment as opposed to concentrating on the past or anticipating the future is a key component of this practice. This may entail engaging in mindfulness exercises like meditation, which support people in remaining focused and present in the present moment. Connection with the present moment, for instance, is directing one’s attention to the current moment and concentrating on the work at hand rather than becoming bogged down in concerns for the future or remorse about the past if one is feeling apprehensive before a job interview.

• Cognitive defusion: To practice cognitive defusion, one must distance themselves from negative thoughts and not take them too seriously. This can be achieved by employing strategies like referring to thoughts as “simple thoughts” and avoiding getting sucked into their ideas. For instance, cognitive defusion is realizing that a thought is just that—an idea—and not essentially a fact, and refraining from getting too engrossed in it. Let’s say someone had the notion, “I’m going to botch up this job interview.”

Read the blog: What is Cognitive Defusion And How To Practice It?

• Committed action: Committed action entails acting with a purpose and in accordance with one’s principles, even when doing so may be difficult or uncomfortable. Setting objectives and pursuing them regardless of challenges or disappointments can be a part of this. For instance, if honesty and integrity are important to a person, they might decide to be truthful about their credentials in an interview process, even if it means losing the position.

• Value: The importance of values is the identification and adherence to one’s own ideals rather than giving in to pressure from others or unproductive internal discourse. Instead of attempting to appease others or fulfill social standards, this entails creating goals and acting in accordance with what seems important to the individual. For instance, if honesty and integrity are important to a person, they might decide to be truthful regarding their accomplishments in the hiring process, even if it means losing the position.

• Acceptance: Acceptance is the capacity to accept emotions, thoughts, and experiences as they are without attempting to suppress or regulate them. This is being open to going through challenging feelings and circumstances instead of trying to run away from or repress them. Acceptance, for instance, is acknowledging and accepting one’s fear rather than attempting to push it away or skip the interview if one is nervous about going on a job interview.

The foundational elements of psychological flexibility are those. By developing these abilities, people may react to the challenges of the current moment adaptably and successfully, which will improve their mental health and well-being.

The relationship between psychological flexibility and mindfulness

The idea of psychological flexibility is frequently linked to mindfulness, which entails being conscious of being present in the moment without passing judgment. Through exercises like meditation and yoga, one can develop mindfulness, which is the ability to pay attention to the moment without reacting or passing judgment.

It is possible to imagine a two-way street between psychological flexibility and mindfulness. On the one hand, developing mindfulness can aid people in growing their capacity for psychological flexibility. Individuals who practice mindfulness can develop the capacity to attend to their emotions and thoughts without becoming consumed by them, which can improve their ability to adapt and respond to situations.

However, psychological flexibility can also support mindfulness. People could become more present and aware in the present moment by being open to new experiences and ready to act, even at times of discomfort or uncertainty.

Read the blog: 14 Most Effective exercises for Mindfulness

Here is an illustration of how psychological flexibility and mindfulness are related:

Consider a person who is dreading a job interview. They could be tempted to back out of the interview or try to calm their worry, which could cause further discomfort and limit their ability to adapt psychologically. Instead of attempting to escape or control their worry, people might be able to see it and accept it as it is if they practice mindfulness and focus on the here and now. As a result, individuals are more able to adjust and react to the circumstance, which can promote psychological flexibility. They are developing mindfulness at the same time by being conscious of the situation and their opinions and emotions without passing judgment.

The relationship between psychological flexibility and Acceptance and commitment therapy

The goal of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a type of psychotherapy, is to assist patients in becoming more psychologically flexible. The foundation of ACT is the premise that psychological distress is frequently brought on by a person’s battle with unpleasant or uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and experiences. People can learn to be more flexible and effective in their lives by accepting these thoughts and sentiments and committing to acting in accordance with personal beliefs.

One of the six fundamental processes of ACT and a major idea in the theory is psychological flexibility. It entails the capacity to adapt and successfully meet the needs of the here and now, as opposed to becoming mired in unproductive thought and behavior habits.

Enroll in our course: Integrate ACT Therapy with other counseling psychotherapies

The ACT emphasizes a number of crucial aspects of psychological flexibility, including:

1. Acceptance
2. Remaining in the present moment
3. The value of values
4. Cognitive defusion
5. Committed action

As a means of enhancing mental health and well-being, ACT places a strong emphasis on assisting people in developing psychological flexibility. People can develop their psychological flexibility by practicing methods like acceptance, mindfulness, and dedicated action, which help them become more adaptable and effective at meeting the needs of the moment.

Read blog: What and How of ACT Therapy + Free Worksheet

Watch the video: We have created this playlist o ACT to help you understand acceptance and commitment therapy.

An example of psychological flexibility in action

If your vehicle breaks down on the side of the highway while you are on a long road trip, what will you do? It is normal to feel unhappy or anxious after such an unanticipated event, which could be unpleasant, frustrating, stressful, and infuriating. However, you might be able to adjust to the circumstance and behave in a more adaptable and successful manner if you can show psychological flexibility.

Instead of attempting to escape or control the issue, you might utilize acceptance to acknowledge and accept it as it is. By drawing a few deep breaths and concentrating on the work at hand instead of focusing on the future or lamenting the past, you may restore your attention to the current moment.

You might also recognize your beliefs and live by them by asking for assistance or coming up with a solution rather than allowing negative thoughts or feelings to consume you.
You may better adjust to and deal with unexpected and difficult scenarios by displaying psychological flexibility, which will increase your well-being and give you a sense of control over the circumstance.

The benefits of developing psychological flexibility

The following are some advantages of increasing psychological flexibility:

• Better mental health and wellbeing: A key component of mental health and wellbeing is psychological flexibility. People can handle stress and hardship in a much healthy and adaptive way if they have the ability to adjust and efficiently react to the requirements of the time. A feeling of control over one’s life as well as a sense of purpose in life might result from this.

• Enhanced resilience: The ability to recover from adversity and stress is referred to as resilience, which is related to psychological flexibility. Individuals who are more psychologically flexible are better equipped to handle difficulties in a healthy and adaptable way, which increases resilience.

• Greater capacity to handle stress and adversity: Psychological flexibility enables people to respond to stress and adversity effectively and adaptively rather than being mired in detrimental thought and behavior patterns. This can assist people in handling trying circumstances and making better decisions.

• Relationship improvement: People who are more psychologically flexible are also better able to express their thoughts and feelings to others and react to them in more adaptable and useful ways.

• Increased satisfaction and well-being: People who are mentally flexible may feel increased satisfaction and well-being by acting on their own ideals and leading a meaningful and purposeful life.

Examples:

By learning to accept and cope with their worry instead of trying to avoid or control it, someone who struggles with anxiety may acquire psychological flexibility. As a result, there may be an improvement in mental health and well-being as well as greater resilience.
By being open to new experiences and acting on their principles, someone going through a painful event, such as a breakup or the loss of a job, may gain psychological flexibility. This can increase their well-being by assisting them in coping with the situation and making better decisions.

Learning to express one’s thoughts and feelings in a more efficient way can help someone who is having trouble communicating with a loved one grow psychologically. Relationships may get better as a result, and you might feel happier and more fulfilled.

Tips and techniques to develop psychological flexibility

Several techniques can be used to increase psychological adaptability:

• Use mindfulness: Mindfulness is the ability to be present and mindful at the moment without passing judgment. It can be developed by routines like deep breathing, yoga, and meditation. Individuals who practice mindfulness can develop the ability to pay attention to their thoughts and emotions without becoming consumed by them, which can improve their ability to adapt and respond to situations.

• Participate in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT aims to alter dysfunctional thought and behavior patterns. They can aid in fostering psychological adaptability by educating people on how to identify, challenge, and swap out harmful beliefs and actions for more benevolent ones.

Enroll in our course: Counseling with Mindfulness for self-compassion | Udemy

• Set objectives and take action in accordance with your personal values: By giving people a sense of direction and purpose, behaving in accordance with your values can aid in the development of psychological flexibility. Even in the midst of difficulties or losses, setting goals and working toward them may keep people motivated and focused.

• Seek assistance: One strategy to increase psychological flexibility is to work with a therapist or psychologist who specializes in mental health. They can offer direction and encouragement as people pick up new knowledge and abilities.

• Sit in nature: Sitting in a serene setting while concentrating on the breath or a mantra is mindfulness meditation. People can learn to be more attentive and psychologically adaptable by focusing on the present moment and letting go of ideas and emotions.

• Engage in cognitive restructuring: Cognitive restructuring entails recognizing and questioning unproductive beliefs and thoughts and replacing them with more useful ones. One who suffers from anxiety might, for instance, confront the notion “I can’t cope with this scenario” and replace it with “I can cope with this situation, even though it is challenging.”

Individuals can increase their psychological flexibility and ability to adjust and successfully respond to the demands of the present moment by utilizing these methods and tactics.

Concluding words on psychological flexibility

In summary, psychological flexibility is the capacity to respond appropriately and effectively to the demands of the moment rather than being mired in unproductive thought and behavior patterns. It entails being open to new experiences and prepared to act, despite discomfort or uncertainty. The ability to adapt psychologically is crucial to one’s mental health and well-being. People can deal with stress and hardship in a more healthy and adaptive way by learning psychological flexibility. Setting objectives, engaging in cognitive-behavioral therapy, and practicing mindfulness are a few strategies to build psychological flexibility. By employing these techniques, people can increase their capacity for adapting and successfully meeting the needs of the here and now, which will result in a more satisfying and meaningful existence.

Download our free worksheet and start practicing psychological flexibility!