What is Psychological Flexibility?
Psychological Flexibility is the personal quality we develop when we practice a set of thinking and behavioural skills that support holistic wellbeing, resilience and performance in the workplace.
By practicing these skills, we become more self-aware and mindful of our approach, we learn to use values rather than emotions to guide our behaviour, and we learn how to pursue meaningful objectives and goals. In other words, we get out of our own way and do more of the stuff that truly matters to us in life.
The scientific evidence supporting psychological flexibility is impressive and the approach has been used in a wide range of organisational settings to boost employee health, performance and satisfaction at work.
An impactful skillset
Psychological flexibility is developed when we consistently practice six complementary skills:
Present moment awareness: mindful contact with the present moment, rather than mental time-travel to a disappointing past or anxiety-inducing imagined future.
Defusion: learning to see thoughts for what they are (passing mental experiences) rather than how they present themselves (rules, demands, ultimatums or the truth).
Clarity of values: working to clarify what really matters to us in life - the personal qualities that we want to bring to life more frequently.
Acceptance: rather than trying to avoid or suppress it, accepting and making room for psychological discomfort (thoughts and feelings) when we're doing meaningful and necessary things.
A flexible self-concept: viewing ourselves as more than temporary status symbols, roles or aspects of our performance and feedback. Making contact with the 'constant self' that sits behind it all.
Committed action: Doing more of what matters, guided by values and the acceptance of temporary discomfort.
Our simple mantra to summarise these skills is:
- Show up! Connect with the present moment, using the aspects of you that are most relevant.
- Let go! End the struggle with your thoughts and feelings and accept the discomfort.
- Get moving! Using values, take intentional action in the direction of what matters right now.
How does Psychological Flexibility support wellbeing?
Psychological Flexibility is associated with increased wellbeing, which can come about when we:
- Stop believing the self-limiting beliefs our minds give us and instead use values to guide our behaviour as we work towards goals. For example, an individual may stop talking themselves out of physical exercise and instead use their values to start the habit of a daily lunchtime walk.
- End the struggle with thoughts and emotions and instead take helpful action to improve our situation. For example, an individual may stop putting off an important conversation about their health and instead seek professional advice.
- Stop avoiding or minimising psychological discomfort and instead see it as a part of the journey towards important or necessary outcomes. For example, an employee may reach out to their manager for support, even though the conversation could be quite uncomfortable.
- Bring values to life more consistently and realise that our familiar coping strategies bring only short term relief. For an example, an employee may invest in self-care and sleep, rather than rely on snacks or alcohol when feeling under pressure.
Essentially, increased psychological flexibility means we’re less hampered by inflexible beliefs about ourselves and what’s possible, less likely to avoid temporary discomfort, and more likely to persist in the direction of healthy and meaningful outcomes.
How can Psychological Flexibility be developed at work?
We can support employees to develop their psychological flexibility and wellbeing through one-to-one coaching, via our training courses, or as part of a structured wellbeing development programme for larger groups.
Coaching allows us to structure the solution around the individual’s unique needs and context. Training allows us to share the skills with teams and larger groups in a structured, blended learning format. While wellbeing programmes allow us to interweave the skills alongside topics like resilience, sleep, emotional management, habit formation and fresh starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can your psychological flexibility solutions be delivered online?
All our coaching, training and wellbeing programmes can be delivered in a blended learning format, combining self-directed online learning, interactive online workshops and real-life application of the skills.
How long do your psychological flexibility courses take?
We have a range of courses on the topic, from taster sessions lasting just 90mins, through to all-day workshops and multi-session online workshops. We can create a solution that fits the time you have available and advise on the depth and complexity we can cover to make the course compelling and practical.
Who is psychological flexibility suitable for in my organisation?
The simple answer is that virtually anyone can benefit from developing their psychological flexibility. However, in the workplace, we know that it can help junior employees and graduates learn to persist through new challenges. For managers, it can help them with workload management, delegation and coping with pressure. And for leaders, we've seen it help them engage in self-care, effective and health coping when under pressure, and making wellbeing part of their routines.
Get in touch
We'd be delighted to discuss your workplace wellbeing needs in more detail and expand on how our coaching, training and development programmes can support your employees' wellbeing journey. Book a consultation with us today.