You are a flexible thinker. 5 strategies to become one

“Try to see things differently.” Who has never heard this phrase? And who, upon hearing this, has never thought “easier said than done?” And for good reason, the ability to see the situations we face from a different perspective is much harder to come by than it seems. However, some strategies can help us move towards flexible thinking, the ability to adapt effectively to different situations by considering several possible solutions. in an article published on the website of Psychology today March 18th and written by herself, American author and psychologist Alice Boyes details five ways to think differently.

Identify people you are willing to take advice from

To adopt a more flexible mindset, we can start to be inspired by the mindsets of the people around us, says Alice Bloyes. That is why the doctor of psychology advises to identify people whose advice we are ready to accept. To do this, he suggests asking yourself: “Who reliably gives you solid ideas that you haven’t considered or dismissed prematurely?” Good to know. the people we ask for advice may be different from those we ask for their perspective on the situation. Then we can create a list of two categories of people.

Adopt an alternative way of thinking

One of the first methods to achieve flexible thinking is to discover your natural way of thinking and then try others. “You don’t have to completely adopt the other point of view, but looking at the opposite way of thinking can help you see and change the assumptions you usually make,” says the expert.

To demonstrate this process, the psychologist gives an example of an individual who lacks self-confidence. The latter could then think how a self-confident person would react to the situation in which he found himself. Moreover, when “you tend to think about what could go wrong, try to adopt the point of view of someone who doesn’t worry about it,” adds the specialist. Finally, “if you think of others first, try to adopt the perspective of someone who puts their own needs first, or vice versa,” he concludes.

Determine the threshold you are not committed to

Take the example of a person who is used to making decisions impulsively and who wants to adopt a different thought pattern to limit its harmful effects. To achieve this, a person can first determine what can harm them by choosing impulsivity. Second, after identifying all these potential negative elements, it is a question of how many of them he is willing to tolerate. In short, think before you act.

Take a step back from our judgments and thoughts

Another way to think about moving toward flexible thinking is the weight we give to our judgments, predictions, and thoughts. More precisely, it is about not giving them more value than they really have and taking them for what they are; simple ideas. Therefore, the expert advises to consider that our thoughts are just thoughts and “not automatically true”.

Look for evidence that contradicts our certainty

Another method of achieving flexible thinking is to look for arguments that might contradict our claims. Specifically, if you believe you will fail to achieve a goal, focus instead on finding what makes it possible to succeed. Confirmation bias, the fact of giving importance only to elements that match our view of things, affects us all. Still, it “can be a huge trigger for painful reflection,” says Alice Bloys.