What Is Cognitive Flexibility And How To Improve It?
Our routines may be disturbed and life's circumstances or issues may not always unfold as we had anticipated.
There could be road construction on the route we frequently take, someone we trust has work to perform, or meetings could be cancelled.
The ability to adjust to various changes we encounter is referred to as cognitive flexibility. Because our reactions to changing environmental conditions automatically shift with them.
having the capacity to handle several jobs, conceive of multiple concepts at once, or assess an event from various angles.
Our cognitive flexibility is correlated with our willingness to consider novel ideas, our capacity to modify previously developed answers for novel situations, and our willingness to give up on ineffective solutions.
We can use the analogy of a manual car to better explain the idea. Depending on our speed, we must shift gears to avoid damaging the car.
Other factors that influence which gear we will move in are the make and model of the vehicle as well as the state of the road. Here are some instances in which our cognitive flexibility comes in handy:
For whatever reason, we might have had to abruptly cancel the weekend plans we had been working on for some time.
Naturally, we may be disappointed by this last-minute change, but we can still come up with new ideas to make the most of our two days off from the bustle of the holiday and give ourselves the much-needed respite.
Another illustration might be a young boy mending his bicycle chain using what he learned in geometry class. As a result, one can use their expertise and understanding from one field to another to address new issues.
Another sign of cognitive flexibility is modifying the dessert we were going to make for our guest who is coming over in a little while when we realise we are missing some items from the recipe.
Rather of putting together an inadequate dinner, we will use the resources we have to get through this unforeseen circumstance.
Adapting to shifting circumstances can be challenging at times. Using our current categories to categorise new events we come across might make things simpler.
In a similar vein, we can recall various prior experiences in a way that makes sense to us right now.
For instance, even though the new neighbour is from a different nation, someone who has travelled overseas previously can assess him based on his prior experiences.
Alternatively, a person could remember specifics from a neighbourhood he no longer feels comfortable in, information suggesting that the location was formerly haunted even though it wasn't.
Our prior knowledge helps us save cognitive resources, yet certain novel situations could call for extra care.
An expert doctor does not necessarily need to treat every seasonal flu episode, for instance; nevertheless, if a patient also has other health issues, further research may be necessary.
Our current communication systems' constant barrage of information can likewise be detrimental to our cognitive flexibility.
We may get mentally burdened by the volume of knowledge we are exposed to, which may further impede our ability to learn new things.