Flexibility isn’t just about your physical bendiness. It can also mean flexibility of thought and your willingness to listen to new ideas and try new approaches. Rather than clinging rigidly to established techniques, try to motivate yourself to be a little more creative in your attitude toward your own health.
We sometimes get bogged down in what we think we can and can’t do. After an injury, worry about hurting ourselves again can discourage us from taking even the tiniest risk. What you could try instead, as many disabled people do every day, is experimenting with your body’s new limits and finding innovative ways to achieve the same goals, just from a different angle.
Life isn’t always going to go according to plan. When unexpected roadblocks suddenly emerge, it’s flexibility that allows us to pivot and find another way around. Mentally flexible people are better placed to deal with stress, whether that’s at home, in the workplace, or when trying to manage their health.
Can we improve our mental flexibility? Yes, but it can be challenging. You need to start by accepting that some change is inevitable, which isn’t always what you want to hear, especially when your current position is already pretty comfortable. You need to look for the positive aspects of change rather than dwelling on the negative. Sometimes a therapist may be able to help you loosen up your mental approach.
Becoming more flexible can boost your self-confidence, and being more self-confident can also help you feel like you’re better placed to deal flexibly with any unexpected problems. Be proactive, taking control of those aspects of life that are manageable even as you acknowledge that some things may be beyond your control. Set yourself broad goals for both the short and long term, and where possible, try to learn new skills to help you achieve them. Transferable skills can be useful when facing an unplanned task outside of your expertise.
People who are flexible tend to have more success at school, at work and in life overall. They also tend to experience more satisfaction. To be flexible is to be able to change in reaction to events. It’s about bending without breaking. By incorporating that into your mindset, you can stay motivated and achieve success, even when life throws the biggest possible challenges in your way.
