Psychological Flexibility
Psychological flexibility is a trait commonly used to describe athletes with a strong mental game. It’s something that is sought after by athletes new to their competitive career, ones who have been in it for years, and everyone in between. But, like many aspects of the mental game, despite it being commonly talked about, it’s difficult for many to understand what exactly it is.
Psychological flexibility, as outlined within the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework, is “the process of contacting the present moment fully as a conscious human being and persisting or changing behavior in the service of chosen values” (S. C. Hayes et al., 2006, p. 9).
Alternatively, Kashdan and Rottenberg defined psychological flexibility as a dynamic process in which “a person (1) adapts to fluctuating situational demands, (2) reconfigures mental resources, (3) shifts perspective, and (4) balances competing desires, needs, and life domains” to pursue a meaningful goal (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010, p. 866).
There a few themes in common worth pointing out when it comes to psychological flexibility, no matter who defines it.
Awareness of when you need psychological flexibility. Being able to adapt and take action does not happen without awareness. How does an athlete regain their focus and confidence without having the awareness of both undermining their mental game? Mindfulness based meditation is one of the best methods athletes use to train this awareness, although there are plenty of other ways.
Experience. No one becomes psychologically flexible with one skills session with a mental performance coach nor does it happen overnight after reading an article like this. Psychological flexibility, like any skill, is a trait that is strengthened through repetition.
A deep understanding of one's sense of self. I often tell athletes to be their own best coach. This is because no coach, no matter how good they are, will be able to tell you everything you need to know at every moment possible. Whether it’s on the starting line or in the middle of a game, there are times when your coach’s wise words won’t be available. It falls, then, on the athlete’s shoulders to know what to say to themselves or do in the moment given their current circumstances. This comes through understanding yourself on a deep level - what makes you thrive, and what gets in the way.
Action. Psychological flexibility is merely wishful thinking if there is no action taken. Despite an athlete having awareness and an understanding of what helps them, it shows up as nothing if they don’t have an action to commit to. This action oftentimes come in the form of mental skills, like a mantra, breath work, and visualization.
Psychological flexibility is undoubtedly a trait every athlete should intentionally hone. It’s likely true that you practice psychological flexibility anyway, just without real structure. But how far can that get you?
Take two athletes where one goes out to the basketball court to shoot around for a half hour every day. The other one goes out there with a plan; a structure they know leads to self-actualization as a basketball player. They know what to train and why to do it. As long as this player staves off burnout and keeps their joy alive for the sport, I, and I imagine you too, would bet they’re going to be better than the player training with no structure.
So, how does one dive deeper into the structure of psychological flexibility? Through sport psychology, of course. Mental performance coaches have the perfect blend of training of understanding the psyche - how to help you learn about yourself on a deep level - complemented with a depth of mental tools to teach you that help you commit to the adaptation necessary for this sought after trait.
If you’re reading this, you probably take your on-field training seriously like athlete #2 mentioned before. But when it comes to the mental game, something you and every other athlete knows is essential to reaching the top, what kind of structure are you employing?
References
Hayes, S. C., Luoma, J. B., Bond, F. W., Masuda, A., & Lillis, J. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, processes and outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006
Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(4), 865–878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.001
