Why Mental and Physical Flexibility Matter—and How to Strengthen Both
Flexibility matters. To maintain good wellbeing and perform at your best, flexibility is required in both the mind and body. Lack of flexibility limits you physically and mentally. Impacts can include:
Adaption Challenges: An inflexible attitude makes it harder to adapt, resulting in frustration and missed opportunities.
Emotional burnout: Mental rigidity can cause emotional exhaustion, as resisting change drains energy.
Poor Decisions: Inflexibility can limit your ability to see all the options clearly.
Increased stress: Inflexibility can lead to mental and physical tension when faced with unexpected challenges.
Limited problem-solving: A rigid mind reduces creativity and the ability to find new and innovative solutions.
Greater risk of injury: Physical inflexibility increases the likelihood of strains, sprains, and other injuries.
Difficulty completing daily activities: Physical inflexibility can reduce your ability to participate in day-to-day activities and social activities.
Mobility Restrictions & Pain: Experience physical pain and discomfort during movement and/or at rest.
Poor Posture: Mental and physical inflexibility can adversely impact your posture.
Poor Sleep: Inflexibility in the mind and body can impact our ability to sleep and sleep well.
Both mental and physical flexibility require ongoing maintenance and develop over time – flexibility does not happen overnight. By incorporating some of the strategies outlined below into your daily routines, you can develop a more flexible and adaptable mind and body. The good news is that there are a number of strategies that benefit both the mind and body!
Mental Flexibility
Mental flexibility is defined by Marshall Goldsmith as ‘the ability to adapt your thinking and behaviour to new, changing, or unexpected circumstances. It involves being open to new ideas, willing to change your perspective, and able to manage multiple thoughts or concepts simultaneously’. It is particularly important for leaders.
Here are some ways to develop your mental flexibility:
Embrace New Experiences: Try new activities or hobbies that push you out of your comfort zone and encourage adaptability.
Seek Diversity: Expose yourself to different cultures, ideas, and ways of thinking. This can broaden your perspective and make your mind more adaptable.
Build your curiosity muscle: Be actively curious about new ideas and perspectives. Ask questions and show a genuine interest in learning from others.
Embrace Change: View change as an opportunity for growth. Be willing to adapt your strategies and approaches as needed.
Challenge Your Assumptions: Regularly question your beliefs and assumptions to foster an open mindset and adaptability. Consider alternative viewpoints.
Practice Mindfulness: Engage in mindfulness meditation to increase awareness of your thoughts and feelings, promoting a more flexible mindset.
Ongoing growth: Commit to lifelong learning. Read widely, attend workshops, and engage in discussions that expand your knowledge and skills.
Engage in Reflective Practices: Keep a journal to reflect on your experiences, thoughts, and feelings, fostering self-awareness and adaptability.
Learn to Problem-Solve: Approach challenges with a solution-oriented mindset, exploring multiple perspectives and options.
Practice Resilience: Learn to bounce back from setbacks. Resilience can help you stay flexible and adaptable in the face of challenges.
Use "Feedforward": Focus on future possibilities and solutions, instead of past mistakes.
Physical Flexibility
Physical flexibility is the ability move freely and easily. It means the muscles and joints in your body can move without restriction or pain. Related to flexibility is your range of motion – this means the full movement potential of a joint. The key to good flexibility and range of motion is to move regularly and in different ways. Here are some tips to develop your flexibility and range of motion:
Regular Movement: Engage in as much day-to-day incidental movement as you can fit into your day – walking, bending, lifting and balancing. A body that does not move often will become rigid.
Stretching Exercises: Incorporate regular static and dynamic stretching into your routine to improve muscle elasticity and joint range of motion. Add stretches into your daily routine every couple of hours if you spend long periods of time stationary.
Sit on the Floor: Try sitting on the floor for at least 15 minutes a day. Sitting on the floor is a stretch for the hips, back, knees and ankles – even getting down to the floor stretches us.
Yoga or Tai Chi: Practice yoga or Tai Chi, which combine stretching, strength, and balance, to enhance overall flexibility and body awareness.
Pilates: Engage in Pilates, which focuses on core strength and flexibility through controlled movements.
Foam Rolling: Use a foam roller to release muscle tension and improve flexibility in tight areas.
Good posture: Good posture will help maintain your body and stop muscles pulling away from their intended position.
Massage: Use massage to release tight spots and areas of tension. There are plenty of options that can be done daily at home. Use balls, massage tools or book with an expert.
Participate in Movement related activities: Engage in activities that involve a lot of movement – hiking, walking, swimming, sports and dancing.
Cool Down After Exercise: Include stretching and relaxation techniques post-exercise to help muscles recover and maintain flexibility.
Experiment:
Set yourself a daily physical and mental flexibility challenge for a couple of weeks – notice what changes.