Mental Flexibility with Be Well Psychotherapy

As we enter into a new year, we tend to think of goal setting as our primary source of reflection and growth. However, in this year’s first writing entry, I’d like to explore the concept of flexibility when it comes to one’s mental health in hopes to shift the work from rigid goals to flowing intentions. So let’s open our minds, stretch out our thinking and dive into how important mental flexibility really is.

When one thinks of flexibility, we usually imagine their body’s ability to move which can decrease pain and injury and increase mobility and physical freedom. What if we were to think of our minds as a muscle? That slight shift in perspective can allow similar notions of physical wellness to spill into our mental health. For example, like physical flexibility, the more flexible you are in your thinking, the less emotional suffering you may experience and instead experience more curiosity, acceptance, openness and a healthy expression of emotions.

Some examples of this are present when we talk about confirmation bias and plan deviation bias, two psychology terms that illustrate our mind’s way of being rigid to reduce energy output and make sense of the world. By being more mentally flexible, one can slow down and challenge automatic thought patterns that create discomfort. It can help create new perspectives in our rigid belief systems and create opportunities for new connections and even beliefs.

Specific tasks one can introduce to react more flexibly are journaling and meditation. By creating a ritual in which you allow yourself to practice challenging your flow of consciousness you may begin to feel more in control of our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. As for journaling, whether we use more of a structured approach or a brain dump, we can experience our thoughts in a tactile way which can help create distance and space from them. By doing so, we can arrive at a more expansive view of the situation which can create opportunity for change rather than feeling stuck.

As for goal setting, like our physical beings, stretching out mentally can create more space for mistakes, setbacks and avoid negative self-talk. By approaching a task or goal with the expectation that it may not end up the way we expect, we avoid potential self-criticism and frustration and can move into reassessing with more ease.

I hope this article has created a new image of what a goal or intention can feel like. I invite you to reflect on how mental flexibility can support you on your wellness journey.

Until next time,

​A note of reflection from our Director, Lauren F. Taibi – 

Sofia Neves-Gilcher and I met in 2011 while providing enrichment services at an elementary school, where she immediately stood out as a dedicated professional. At Be Well Psychotherapy, she continues to provide attentive, meaningful care for her clients. Sofia creates newsletters on mental health topics, compiles practical tools for clients between sessions, and shares resources with our team to benefit the community. She is committed to ongoing learning, including EMDR coursework, and brings expertise in working with the college student population. Her dedication to evidence-based methods and continual growth is a gift to her clients and our community.

—Lauren F. Taibi