To do this, we must not lock ourselves into a rigid perception of who we are and who we have to be. 5-Factor Theory. The words springy and flexible are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. FLEXIBLE Synonyms: 78 Synonyms & Antonyms for FLEXIBLE - Thesaurus.com Dr. She has no one else. Although the words resilient and flexible have much in common, resilient implies the ability to recover shape quickly when the deforming force or pressure is removed. Identifying your emotions can help you maintain good mental health. Set small goals at first, such as making one small change each day. Sexual withholding in a marriage can be a form of abuse. Things that seem mundane to most people are extraordinarily beautiful to sentimental folks. Sometimes it takes only a sentence or two to get on the other side of anxiety. He is the author of 13 books and over 300 articles and provides training nationally and internationally. 2023. "Being overly flexible is not as much of a problem as it is to not have proper strength to match your flexibility levels." When we believe that its imperative to prevent something from happening we become trapped in rigidity. Jack is essentially running his life on autopilot, his ingrained habits and there is little spontaneity not only because he struggles with anxiety, but he is out of touch with his emotions. Unwanted intrusive thoughts aren't defined by their content. This, too, blocks us from receiving the richness of simply being in the moment with a partner. "Saturday Night Live" alum is being treated at the same facility where his . But practicing healthy communication and sex therapy may help you reconnect with your partner. Authoritative parents tend to be more warm, fair, and encouraging than other parenting styles which may be why children raised by this style have more psychological flexibility. How to Be Flexible at Work (With Tips and Examples) MentalHelp has partnered with several thought leaders in the mental health and wellness space, so we can help you make informed decisions on your wellness journey. They are good observers who prefer to perceive the world through hands-on experiences. Can Being Too Flexible Be Harmful? - Expanding Light Thus, the ability to mentalize permits an accurate assessment of each unique situation that renders an appropriate response for that situation. Let's use an example to illustrate this concept. The fourth pattern of psychological rigidity, also known as experiential avoidance, can include things like impulsive confrontation, emotional or physical withdrawal or a refusal to participate when an issue emerges that needs attention. In other words, we must be able to adjust our reactions to the specific circumstances of each situation. Exploring The First-Name Effect: Racism in The Courtroom, How to Use Music to Reconnect With a Dementia Patient, When Apes Laugh, They Offer a Window Into Human Evolution, 35 Years After My Brother's Suicide, I Give Thanks, 3 Reasons Why You Feel Overpowered by Your Partner, Always Wishing You Had a Better Life? Having a number of these relationships, both within and outside the family, that offer love, encouragement and reassurance can build and support resilience. To do this, we must not. It's what we used to call double-jointed, even though that's not technically correct.". If you encounter somebody who is always looking to lay blame, arguing outright is unlikely to resolve the conflict. They are found throughout our bodies, in skin, tendons, ligaments, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and organs. Couples who spend a lot of time worrying or getting worked up about injustices that have occurred earlier in the relationship tend to suffer much more than those who are able to move forward. [23] Lastly, committed action teaches people to make changes in behavior in order for them to reach chosen qualities. (Most of the time.). This is important because the adaptiveness of regulation strategies changes as a function of contextual demands. Genuine people, by definition, have a good sense of self-esteem, says clinical psychologist Guy Winch, Ph.D., a HuffPost blogger and author of Emotional First Aid: Healing Rejection, Guilt, Failure, and Other Everyday Hurts. The words supple and flexible can be used in similar contexts, but supple applies to something that can be readily bent, twisted, or folded without any sign of injury. If I am constantly vigilant and distrustful of others, and suspect my co-workers or customers might try to harm me at any moment, I will likely behave in a manner that is overly-guarded, hostile, suspicious, or withholding. The children are encouraged to be independent and are supported, so they are able to adjust to situations that do not go as predicted. [23] An example of acceptance would be when people feel angry and then choose to focus on the anger and accept that they are angry, rather than trying to unleash their anger to get rid of it. Talkspace Online Therapy & Psychiatry - Licensed therapists and psychiatrists are available for virtual sessions via Talkspace. Be prepared for changes in your business environment--and prosper from them--by being flexible instead of rigid in your beliefs and actions. How does the adjective flexible contrast with its synonyms? They have an innate ability to change their global way of thinking to a much more precise way of thinking when necessary. People with HSD may develop chronic pain because of increased stress on their joints or because of nerve damage in the connective tissues. However, psychological flexibility only predicted mental health when DIDF was involved. fortunately, that working mother has a very, able to revert to original size and shape after being stretched, squeezed, or twisted, Palter, Dissemble, and Other Words for Lying, Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins, Words For Things You Didn't Know Have Names, Vol. 1. Psychological flexibility allowed participants to have a better understanding of the subtleties of pleasant and unpleasant emotions. 1 It involves being able to abandon a previous pattern of responses in favor of an alternate response that better suits the current circumstances. [10] In leadership studies, flexibility, defined as "the ability to get along with different groups and adapt to the demands of many organizations," is one aspect of portability, or the ability to acquire skills and move from one company to the next. Once back at Vinny's Garage, Bird busies herself arranging and then rearranging the parts on the garage floor. Rigidity of the Inflexible | Psychology Today Ron Breazeale, Ph.D., is the author of Duct Tape Isnt Enough: Survival Skills for the 21st Century as well as the novel Reaching Home. This means our perceptions and interpretations of the world must not only be accurate, but also nuanced. [21] When psychological flexibility was targeted in one study of ACT, there was a stronger reduction in psychological distress. Todd Kashdan and Jonathan Rottenberg). Most people feel happier when they love and let themselves be loved. Being flexible is another skill that builds and maintains resilience. Just as you have to practice stretching your muscles to become more physically flexible, you must do the same thing to become mentally flexible. 11 Habits of Exceptionally Flexible (and Successful) People. To try and change an innate way of thinking, a person must offload the tension that is causing them to be so inflexible. Because it is relatively uncommon (estimates range from 1 in 2500-5000), people with this condition often go undiagnosed for decades. However, there is such a thing as being too flexible. All about ISFP Personality Type - The Aesthetic Wanderer Our navigational tools would need to be capable of swiftly adjusting to changing conditions (weather conditions, cargo weight, etc.). Work From the Outside In, Frustrated Partners: When Sex Moves to the Back Burner, 6 Ways to Conquer Driving-Related Anxiety and Panic, 22 Calming Quotes for People with Anxiety. Conversely, the inflexibility that is characteristic of "disordered" personalities is considered maladaptive because it leads to distress, dissatisfaction, and failure. Auditory hallucinations can be difficult to cope with. The more you can challenge yourself to allow for new experiences, the easier it will be to integrate them into your everyday life. [23] An example of this is somebody who chooses to continue to improve on being a father (chosen quality) by reliving painful childhood memories about how his own father parented him (action). The way in which people deal with conflictsand in particular the level of rigidity or flexibility that they bring to themshapes their relationships and to a great degree determines the level of vitality therein, writes JoAnne Dahl, PhD, in the book ACT and RFT in Relationships: Helping Clients Deepen Intimacy and Maintain Healthy Commitments Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relational Frame Theory. Why Am I Stressed and Anxious All the Time? 14 Signs Of An Adaptable Person - Forbes They help guide us toward who and what matter to us. One such study recently highlighted the importance of flexibility, But What About Standing Up For Whats Right?, The Importance of Choosing Whats Most Important, How to Be More Flexible in Your Relationship, I often harp on the importance of being clear about whats most important. [1] This trait is used when stressors or unexpected events occur, requiring a person to change their stance, outlook, or commitment. For example, cognitive reappraisal might be useful in some situations (my date is late because s/he probably got stuck at work and not because s/he doesn't like me) but not in others ("it's OK for my coworker to dump all his work on me because he has been at the company for a longer time than I have"). Occasionally I come across a study that sheds so much light on the struggles that compulsives face that it seems made for people with OCPD (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder). [22] There are six core processes in ACT interventions: acceptance, cognitive defusion, self as context, being present, values, and committed action.[23]. Pete Davidson reportedly admitted himself into rehab to manage "borderline personality disorder and PTSD" symptoms. The benefits of otherwise fulfilling moments become less accessible. Stories can be harmful for intimacy, or in some instances they may be useful. Simple steps to feeling more socially confident. Life has special meaning to us. Flexible people tend to be the true innovators. People who are better at enhancing and suppressing their expression of emotions are less likely to be stressed over time. However, people often use it to describe the ability to adjust to changes in your life without creating stress or drama. But what we see sometimes is that these middle range scoring people can be too flexible. Core Theory Assertive Logician (INTP-A) vs. Turbulent Logician (INTP-T) Due to their four shared Logician traits, Assertive Logicians (INTP-A) and Turbulent Logicians (INTP-T) are more alike than different compared to any other types. Accept whats out of your control. Bad choices often involve acting due to emotion rather than reason.