The Cognitive Flexibility Workbook
The Cognitive Flexibility Workbook
The Cognitive Flexibility Workbook
BEHAVIOURAL
THERAPY
PRACTITIONER
CERTIFICATION
THE COGNITIVE
FLEXIBILITY
WORKBOOK
THE COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY WORKBOOK
What is useful, is to be able to quickly shift your thinking between ideas and
change your perspective to accommodate new information. Cognitive flexibility
helps you upgrade your old belief system as an adaptation to new
stimuli. Consider all those who didn't learn how to use a cell phone or computer;
such individuals might be stuck in their ways and fail to understand the
perspectives of the younger generation.
People with low levels of cognitive flexibility are generally 'stuck in their ways'
and do not like being presented with new information. These are individuals that
find it difficult to adapt to change, whether it be behavioural, psychological,
technological or environmental, etc.
'Cognitive Inflexibility'
Mention the word flexibility, and most people think about yoga poses or Pilates
positions instead of our thought processes. But what if we could use a flexible
mindset to promote good health in our mental and emotional wellbeing?
Our mind is like a muscle, the more diverse ways that we use it, the more flexible it
becomes. With practice and awareness, we can all begin to develop a more agile
mind which in turn helps us to live more resilient, creative and fulfilled lives.
“Mental agility can enable us to more fruitfully and efficiently pursue both
individual and group goals,” suggested Wilma Koutstaal, Ph.D., a psychologist at
the University of Minnesota. “It can enable us to be more efficient problem solvers
and problem finders, helping to foster creativity and innovation and allowing us to
identify and realise promising opportunities.”
Mental (cognitive) flexibility is about adaptability and our willingness to shift our
thought patterns between the abstract and the specific, to respond to given
situations in less regimented ways.
Rigid, 'black and white' thinking can help some people to eliminate stress-
producing details in some cases, but this doesn’t make us deep thinkers or as
creative as many of us would like to be. It does not allow us to deal with problems
quickly when they arrive. Yes, rigid thinking can help us make quick decisions
about some things, but it is not suited to help us with our overall quality of life.
It’s easier, for example, to pick one position; to be against the war or for lower
taxes, for example, instead of evaluating the complexities and recognising that war
can sometimes have positive outcomes and that lower taxes are not always for
the best.
Sometimes it can be hugely beneficial for us to be highly accurate in the details (of
things), and that’s a good thing, but then there are many instances when we need
to be more abstract to adapt to the unexpected situations and circumstances that
will inevitably always arise.
THE COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY WORKBOOK
Sometimes it can serve us (and others) to be more rigid and follow specific rules.
However, at times it’s better to be more open and loose. Raising children can be
an excellent example of an instance when it's imperative that we implement both
ways of thinking (and behaving).
Cognitive flexibility is related to our perceptions, emotions, actions and even our
deepest motivations. A change of environment, attitude or behaviour will also
influence the way in which we think. When we feel optimistic or happy, for
example, we tend toward broad and inclusive thinking. Contrastingly, fear
narrows our focus down to specific details. When we are able to make that
mental shift without remaining stuck in a particular mindset, we’re demonstrating
mental flexibility.
How mentally flexible we are from moment to moment will be different for all
people all of the time. A flexible mindset moves us away from limiting 'black and
white' thought patterns to a place of greater openness and possibility.
In those moments, when we are feeling stuck, tired of the routine, or caught in
old habits or repetitive patterns of behaviour, we can adapt our thinking and
consequent actions in a way that will boost our inner resilience and our ability to
solve complex problems.
While some people have a natural temperament toward cognitive flexibility, all
of us have the ability to become better at it, through practice, patience and
perseverance.
Here are five brain exercises that you can start using today, to either further
develop your cognitive flexibility, or, to help your clients further improve theirs.
THE COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY WORKBOOK
1) Change your context. Take a vacation. Take a walk around the block. Take a
coffee break. Modify the context or your environment, and you will feel your
mind shift. Exercise offers a great mental boost.
2) Try something different. Learn to dance, cook a new recipe or even pick up a
new language. In a study led by Koutstaal, older adults who participated in a
variety of novel and stimulating activities over a three-month period
demonstrated a significant gain in creativity, problem-solving abilities and other
markers of 'fluid intelligence' when compared to the control group. Mental
flexibility is aided by novelty, and that influences brain growth and development
throughout our lifetime.
3) Question your thoughts and words. Become more aware of what you are
saying and thinking. Don’t attach to or lock into one limited way of thinking. Also,
pay attention to your language. Dispute the thoughts and words that don’t serve
you. Then, substitute them with more productive ideas and phrases.
5) Mix up the way you think. Creative and innovative ideas usually arise
following periods of both focused thought and diffused attention. So, allow time
to concentrate on challenges or projects both in a deliberate manner and also in
an unfocused way while you are doing something else.
These five tips will not only help your brain to grow in agility and flexibility, but
they should also leave you feeling more resilient, creative and far more
confident about accomplishing more of your most intimidating personal goals.
2) In what ways are you open to other people’s perspectives, approaches, and
ideas?
3) In what ways are you going to start developing your flexibility of thinking?