The Importance of Flexibility

Although an inflexible mindset may have served a purpose at some point in our evolutionary history, today the same outlook is rendered dysfunctional. People who struggle with OCD may not always be aware that their specificities could be counterproductive and so it is a good idea to learn how to be more flexible.

Why Are We Inflexible?

In the case of OCD, rigid thinking is the result of vicious circles. Each preoccupation has a corresponding ritual, meant to reduce anxiety. This means that the person will repeat the cycle, every time they feel anxious.

But a hardline attitude is something we see in many people and not all of them suffer from OCD. There must be something else that motivates these individuals, some kind of secondary benefit, that results from being intransigent. Most experts agree that a rigid mindset might satisfy our need for control. When you do things your own way, you’re the one calling the shots and this gives you a sense of power and control over your environment.

Flexibility and Control

Being flexible means to give up some of your control, in exchange for a better option. Most are satisfied with this option, since we cannot always be experts in everything, but there are also those who refuse to give up some of their control, even if that means adopting better strategies.

The Force of Adaptability

Facing new challenges with a positive, flexible attitude can often make you much happier than sticking to what you know. Whether you like it or not, the world changes and there’s little you can do about that. We know you like to do things in a certain manner, but sometimes you have to accept the fact that your methods are no longer viable.

In today’s world, it’s not as important how well you do, but rather whether you’re willing and improve. While being able to learn depends on your physical and mental skills, willingness requires an open-minded attitude, which everyone can develop.

Analyze Your Mechanisms

Adaptable individuals are often those who can easily look deep within themselves to see what works and what doesn’t. Self-awareness and self-discovery is what allows us to calibrate our thoughts and behavioral patterns. Once you truly know yourself on an intimate level, you can then start building skills and abilities that will allow you to better cope with the changes that occur on a daily basis.

Being Your Own Person

Adaptability means finding ingenious solutions to new problems. In some way, we could argue that flexibility and adaptability require a certain amount of courage and boldness. Perhaps not everyone is confident enough to stand up and say, “I have a better solution”, but this is a skill that can be acquired, even from those who currently have extremely low self-esteem.

The Nature of Conformity

Most of us fear rejection because we don’t want to be perceived as outsiders. It is in our nature to conform, as a preservation mechanism, meant to keep us safely within a group. While we are social being and we do indeed need social interactions, we have evolved from the time when it was life-endangering to diverge from the mass. What is more, no matter what you do and how hard you try, you’ll never be able to please everyone. A whimsical motto to consider is, “If everyone likes you, you’re doing it wrong”.

Constantly Reinvent Yourself

This is probably the most crucial aspect of adaptability and flexibility. To reinvent yourself means to adopt new skills and expertise that will allow you to stay ahead of the competition. People who struggle with OCD often find it difficult to get out of their comfort zone. However, keep in mind that this entire process is a step-by-step approach. You don’t have to reinvent yourself altogether in one day. It’s enough to be open to change, and to allow yourself to grow, rather than cling to what is familiar.