Speedy Mental Agility Exercises for Flexible Ideation
Flexible thinking, also known as cognitive flexibility, is an essential skill that aids in the development of social-emotional skills, problem-solving abilities, and adaptability. Here are some strategies that can help improve your flexible thinking abilities.
Going for a quick walk outside can stimulate focus and enhance attention and concentration, opening your mind to more possibilities. But did you know that simple activities like using a deck of cards in a bingo board format, estimating the shortest distance between two points on a map, or even looking at optical illusions can also promote flexibility?
These activities require you to think differently and adapt your approach, which is at the heart of flexible thinking. For example, spending 10 minutes thinking about ways that the concept represented by a card could be applied to your life or work can help you break out of a rigid thinking pattern.
Playing strategy games like chess, solving the same problem with altered conditions, rewriting stories or events from different characters' perspectives, and practicing mindfulness are other effective strategies for improving flexible thinking. Changing daily routines regularly, learning about other cultures, and engaging in brainstorming exercises with unusual or varied ideas can also help.
For children or neurodivergent individuals, co-creating routines, scaffolding decision making, and using play or stories to stretch thinking can support flexible thinking growth in a safe and supportive environment. Creative tasks like writing poetry, drawing objects repeatedly, or making up stories from new compound words can also develop mental flexibility.
Incorporating these activities into your routine promotes the ability to adapt perspectives, generate alternative solutions, and navigate novel situations effectively, all core facets of flexible thinking. So, why not start today and open your mind to a world of possibilities?
References:
[1] Harvard Business Review. (2018, February 13). How to Think More Creatively. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/02/how-to-think-more-creatively
[2] Psychology Today. (n.d.). 7 Ways to Boost Your Cognitive Flexibility. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-creative-mind/201606/7-ways-boost-your-cognitive-flexibility
[3] The Muse. (2018, December 11). 7 Ways to Boost Your Cognitive Flexibility. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/7-ways-to-boost-your-cognitive-flexibility
[4] MindTools. (n.d.). Boost Your Flexible Thinking Skills. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_87.htm
Engaging in cognitive flexibility exercises, such as playing chess, solving varied problem conditions, and practicing mindfulness, fosters development in life skills like critical thinking, communication, and personal growth. The continuous learning of new ideas through exploring other cultures and brainstorming sessions helps in broadening one's education-and-self-development. A safe environment that supports co-creating routines and scaffolding decision making for children and neurodivergent individuals encourages growth in social skills and mental flexibility.
