Word of the Year: Flexibility
Life doesn’t always go as planned. In fact, it’s been said that the only constant in life is change.
Fighting this fact or trying to prevent things from changing leads to frustration, conflict, and even struggle. So what’s the antidote? Flexibility!
What is it?
The ability to adapt to new situations, change response based on a situation, and improvise when things don’t go as planned. Flexible thinking is a critical part of problem-solving.
Given the state of today’s world, it’s more essential than ever to stay flexible. In fact, it’s so important that we’ve chosen FLEXIBILITY as our word of the year to focus on, remember, and unite us as a company and community supporting each other to get through this challenging time. We are all in this together and can build resilience and connection in spite of the chaos.
Life has changed dramatically over the past six months, and we’ve all been forced to cope with an onslaught of new, confusing, and often painful situations. Social distancing, online learning, and conducting our lives on Zoom are only some of the difficult new realities we’re facing. As we try to respond to problems we couldn’t have imagined a year ago, being flexible and able to improvise is key. These are the skills that will keep us from panicking and help us come up with solutions when things don’t go as planned. (And that seems to be happening pretty much every day!)
As SLPs and special educators, we’re a step ahead. We’ve had plenty of practice pivoting and being flexible with students who have unique challenges. We’re accustomed to wearing many hats (and now masks) and finding ways to respond to a child’s unexpected needs or a burst of anger, anxiety, or fear. We teach, counsel, empathize and serve as role models. We understand that problems have multiple solutions, so we don’t get stuck by responding to people or situations in a rigid way. The ability to “bend, not break” is more crucial than ever.
Tips to support flexible thinking for adults:
Care for yourself with compassion: Taking care of our own needs is not a luxury, but a necessity. If we make sure to get enough rest and exercise, eat healthy foods, and attend to our own emotional needs, we’ll be far better equipped to think clearly and flexibly and be able to help others.
Positive self-talk: Come up with a few mantras or affirmations to help you think flexibly such as “This too shall pass,” “I can look at this another way,” and “I’m creative enough to cope with this.”
Thinking about others: When conflict bubbles up, consider the other person’s perspective. If someone makes a mistake or handles a situation in a way you disagree with, cut them extra slack. Remember that everyone is under unusual stress right now!
Build variety into your life by changing up your routines and seeking out new experiences and people. Keep your brain sharp and active by avoiding the easy way out through technology (ie, get directions by using a map or do calculations on paper).
Flexibility is one of the most important skills we can teach kids. Growing up with a flexible mindset is essential in order to handle the inevitable frustrations, changes, and unexpected situations that life brings, especially in these times. Children who aren’t able to be flexible will likely respond to stresses with anger, fear, and emotional shutdown rather than finding creative ways to cope and adapt.
Tips to support flexible thinking for kids:
Teach flexibility by being a role model. Tell children when and how you’re being flexible as things come up, even if it’s something minor. Point out that Plan A didn’t work, so you’re moving to Plan B.
Create changes in routine or physical set-up at home or school so kids become accustomed to handling variety and even start to expect it.
Make small changes in rules and expectations. These could be changes to the rules in a board game or something like serving breakfast at dinnertime.
Encourage creative games, like imagining new uses for items found at home or school.
Write or tell jokes to practice creative thinking and using words in new ways. Read an Amelia Bedelia book and talk about what happens when someone is stuck in literal thinking.
Staying flexible at home, work, and school will help adults and kids get through this time. Let’s develop and rely on this skill, which supports our ability to think creatively as we grapple with big and small frustrations. And let’s make it a priority to help the children in our lives develop flexible thinking, which will prove valuable throughout their lifetime.
Article by Elizabeth Sautter, M.A., CCC-SLP – Speech-Language Pathologist & Executive Director of Communication Works
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