Cognitive Flexibility: Why It Matters for Mental Health
Life is naturally unpredictable. But our ability to adapt and shift between tasks, perspectives, or concepts allows us to bounce back from stressful situations and solve problems. This ability to adapt and adjust how we think as situations change is called “cognitive flexibility.” And according to experts, it’s frequently linked to resilience and better stress management.[1]
But sometimes it’s hard to consider different perspectives or recover from setbacks, and instead, we may get stuck in one way of thinking. When we have a harder time adapting and think rigidly, we’re more likely to get trapped in patterns that result in depression, anxiety, and poor overall mental well-being.[2]
It can feel frustrating when your mind seems unable to move past a certain thought or expectation. That’s why this article will explore:
- What mental flexibility is, and why it matters.
- How rigid thinking can affect mental health.
- The mental health conditions that can impact psychological flexibility.
- Therapies used to improve flexible thinking.
What Is Cognitive Flexibility?
Cognitive flexibility is our ability to adjust how we think and behave in response to changes in our situation or environment.[3] With cognitive flexibility, we’re able to consider new information and change our approach when a situation doesn’t go as expected. It’s an important part of our executive functioning, which helps us:[4]
- Plan.
- Focus.
- Remember information.
- Work toward goals.
We’re almost always using mental flexibility throughout the day, often without realizing it. We use it to:
- Rearrange our schedules when a meeting gets moved.
- Switch between tasks and priorities, like changing from cleaning the living room to cooking dinner.
- Try a different solution when the first one doesn’t work.
- Recognize that someone else may see a situation differently than we do.
- Adjust our expectations when circumstances change.
These cognitive skills help us respond to whatever situation comes up instead of automatically relying on one interpretation or solution.
Mental flexibility isn’t about needing to constantly change our minds or agree with everyone else and abandon our own values. It just allows us to see different perspectives and consider multiple concepts at the same time. In this way, cognitive flexibility helps us stay open to new information and recognize that different circumstances might need different responses.
Why Cognitive Flexibility Matters for Mental Health
Having cognitive and emotional flexibility doesn’t stop us from dealing with difficult emotions or stressful situations. But what it does do is give us more options for how we respond when these circumstances happen.
Cognitive flexibility matters for mental health because it:
Helps Us Respond to Stress Instead of Staying Stuck in It
When something goes wrong, flexible thinking can help us consider what we can control, what else we can try, and what might need to change. Being able to do this can support resilience.[5] Being resilient doesn’t mean we’re not affected by setbacks; rather, it means that we know how to adapt, recover, and find other ways forward.
Supports More Balanced Thinking
Cognitive flexibility can help us distinguish between what happened and the conclusions we draw from it. Being able to think I made a mistake versus I ruined everything are two very different responses. Reminding ourselves that a situation is difficult right now is distinct from thinking nothing will ever improve.
Cognitive flexibility allows us to examine a thought from different angles, which also supports critical thinking. Instead of automatically accepting the first assumption, we can consider the available evidence and decide whether another explanation is possible.
It Can Help With Emotional Regulation
Our emotions often influence how we interpret situations, and our interpretation can then intensify what we feel. For example, if we believe that a delayed text means someone has rejected us, this may increase anxiety. And as the anxiety grows, the belief can become more convincing.
Emotional flexibility involves being able to respond to emotions in different ways depending on what the situation requires.[6] Maybe this means we need to solve a problem. Other times we might need to:
- Ask for help.
- Set a boundary.
- Allow an uncomfortable feeling to pass.
It Can Support Healthier Relationships
Relationships require us to constantly adjust our thoughts and behaviors. Two people will not always agree, communicate in the same way, or respond to stress similarly. Flexible thinking can help us:[7]
- Consider another person’s perspective.
- Adjust how we communicate.
- Compromise when appropriate.
It also helps us repair when we have misunderstandings and recognize when our assumptions are incomplete.
Cognitive flexibility allows us to recognize that our perspective may be valid without necessarily being the only possible perspective.
What Does Rigid Thinking Look Like?
The opposite of cognitive flexibility is often described as “cognitive rigidity,” or “rigid thinking.” Cognitive rigidity often means difficulty adapting to change and shifting your thoughts, expectations, or approach when circumstances change.
Many of us experience rigid thinking at times, especially when we’re stressed or overwhelmed. But when it happens frequently, it might look like:
- Getting stuck on one interpretation of a situation, even when other explanations are possible.
- Feeling unusually distressed when plans or routines change.
- Repeating the same approach even when it’s not working.
- Seeing situations in all-or-nothing terms, such as success or failure, right or wrong, or safe or unsafe.
- Finding it hard to consider another person’s perspective.
Rigid thinking isn’t necessarily a problem on its own. It becomes a concern when it happens often and interferes with your:
- Relationships.
- Problem-solving.
- Emotional well-being.
- Ability to change or adapt.
Mission Connection is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Mental Health Conditions That May Affect Cognitive Flexibility
Difficulty with cognitive flexibility doesn’t automatically mean you have a mental health condition. Nearly all of us become more rigid under certain circumstances. However, patterns of inflexible thinking can sometimes occur alongside mental health concerns. Here’s how mental health conditions can affect cognitive flexibility:
- Anxiety: Anxiety often involves trying to anticipate danger and reduce uncertainty. When we feel anxious, our mind may become focused on the most threatening possibility. For example, if we make a mistake at work, we might immediately think we’ll lose our job. Even when there are more likely explanations, anxiety can make it difficult to consider them.
- Depression: Depression can influence how we view ourselves, our circumstances, and the future. For instance, we might find it hard to shift out of all-or-nothing thoughts like Nothing will change; I’ll always fail. Even when something positive happens, depression can make it harder to be open to other possibilities and update our negative beliefs.
- ADHD, autism, and executive functioning difficulties: Because cognitive flexibility is part of executive functioning, some people with ADHD or autism may find certain types of shifting especially challenging.[8] With executive dysfunction, you might find it hard to switch tasks, become more absorbed in an activity, or have strong emotional reactions during transitions.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): OCD often involves inflexible ways of thinking and feeling an intense need for certainty.[9] You may repeatedly ask yourself whether something is safe, whether you made a mistake, or whether you handled a situation correctly.
- Trauma and chronic stress: Traumatic experiences can change how we interpret safety, relationships, and uncertainty. If a previously unpredictable environment required us to stay alert, unexpected changes may continue to feel threatening even when our circumstances have changed.
While these beliefs or reactions may have developed as a way to protect us, rigid thinking can result in worsening mental health and a higher risk of suicidal thoughts.[10]
How Therapy Can Help With Rigid Thinking and Cognitive Flexibility
Therapy gives you the opportunity to help notice when a familiar way of thinking is limiting your choices and causing more distress. It also gives you the chance to practice responding in ways that better fit your current circumstances. The following are some of the therapies that are commonly used to address rigid thinking patterns:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) explores the connections between thoughts, emotions, and behavior. With CBT, you can learn to identify automatic thoughts that may contribute to distress, examine the evidence for them, and consider other possible interpretations.
The goal of CBT is to develop a more balanced and flexible way of evaluating your thoughts, and research on it shows that it can help improve cognitive flexibility.[11]
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
The main goal of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is to increase psychological flexibility. Unlike CBT, ACT is less about changing negative thoughts and more about noticing and acknowledging them, then acting in ways that are aligned with your personal values.[12]
For example, there is a difference between thinking I can’t handle this and recognizing I am having the thought that I cannot handle this.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) teaches that two opposing ideas can exist together. For example, you can still think that you’re doing the best you can but still need to make changes, rather than thinking you’re doing the best you can so nothing can change.
Learning to hold two truths at the same time can challenge all-or-nothing thinking and support both cognitive and emotional flexibility.
Improve Cognitive Flexibility With Mission Connection
At Mission Connection, we know that it can be difficult to change the way you think, especially if you’re also dealing with mental health concerns. Rather than treating cognitive rigidity as a character flaw, our team works to understand the experiences, emotions, and patterns that shape how you respond.
Using a personalized approach that treats the whole you, we combine evidence-based therapies like CBT, ACT, and DBT with holistic methods like mindfulness. Our comprehensive approach helps you understand your patterns, develop stronger cognitive skills, and build more options for responding when life doesn’t go according to plan.
We offer several options for effective outpatient treatment, including in-person programs at our locations in California, Virginia, and Washington, virtual telehealth, and a hybrid program that combines in-person and virtual care. Mission Connection is Joint Commission-accredited. We also accept most major insurance providers, so that your recovery is not hindered due to financial issues.
If you’re dealing with rigid thinking or executive dysfunction, reach out to us online or call us at 866-833-1822. Sometimes progress starts with recognizing that there’s more than one way forward.
Cognitive Flexibility and Learning Adaptability FAQ
Learning how to change or shift the way we think can feel overwhelming or confusing. Below, we’ll address some of the questions we hear about cognitive flexibility and ways to improve it.
What is an example of cognitive flexibility?
There are many everyday examples of cognitive flexibility. We’re using cognitive flexibility when we have to take a different route to work because of construction, or when we run out of coffee in the morning.
We’re also using it when we constantly shift tasks at work or school, like working on a paper and then answering a phone call. Cognitive flexibility allows us to reorganize our priorities, adjust our plan, and continue with the rest of the day.
Do people with ADHD struggle with cognitive flexibility?
Yes, people with ADHD often find the ability to adapt to new or unexpected situations challenging. Not everyone with ADHD will struggle with psychological flexibility, but studies do show differences in structure and function of the prefrontal cortex (the area responsible for executive functioning).[13] Because of this, people with ADHD might find adjusting and adapting to be especially difficult. But ADHD affects people differently, and challenges with shifting attention or adapting to change can vary from person to person.
What causes low cognitive flexibility?
Many factors can cause low cognitive flexibility. Past experiences, mental health conditions, executive dysfunction, emotional overwhelm, and lack of sleep can all make it harder to shift our thinking or adapt to change.
Some people may also naturally prefer more predictability and routine than others. In other cases, rigid thinking may develop as a way of creating a sense of safety or control, particularly after periods of chronic stress or uncertainty.
How does Mission Connection help with rigid thinking?
At Mission Connection, we provide personalized treatment that looks at your symptoms, experiences, needs, and goals. Using approaches like CBT, ACT, and DBT, we can help you identify automatic thoughts, support psychological flexibility, and question all-or-nothing thinking.
Our mindfulness approaches can also help you notice thoughts without immediately reacting to them. Our goal is to support you in developing more awareness and more choices in how you respond to difficult thoughts, emotions, and changes.