Flexibility is key these days and it’s also one of the great tools to stay out of perfectionism. It sounds easy – you can just pivot or shift. Simple, right? Sorta. Simple, but not easy, feels more accurate.
There are 5 key things that you can implement right now to help yourself be more flexible – a key for anyone who is working on perfectionist tendencies!
1. Take a Breath
This is the simplest, most profound tool for coming back to the moment, calming down and slowing down. My favorite kind is what I call the balance breath. Inhale for the count of 5 and exhale to the count of 5. This calms the nervous system and brings some calm to your body and mind.
2. Connect to your body & physical surroundings
What do you feel? What do you see? Turn your head left and right. Notice your body against a chair or your clothes against your skin. Be in this moment, right now; so you can be flexible and act with intention instead of acting from autopilot.
3. Remember that your first reaction isn’t the one you have to go with
Intention! Your first reaction is autopilot. It’s habits, programming, societal conditioning and learned behavior. When you have this initial reaction, you don’t have to go with it! You can question it, bring intention to your actions and decisions, and choose how you respond.
4. Ask yourself what you need
Maybe you need a glass of water or a nap or a connection with a trusted friend. Most of us never pause long enough to consider this question. Magic happens when you implement this tool into your life.
5. Allow yourself to change your mind
Change is a gift! For goodness sake, if we never changed we’d all still be crawling and wearing diapers! Maybe you know more now than you did a year ago. Maybe you thought you would have the energy for a meeting, but you’re exhausted. Maybe you felt that you’d be ready to do something, but you’re not. You’re allowed to change your mind, and in fact, I encourage you to lean into this concept to become more flexible.
The phrase “now more than ever” is one of the most overused of the last 4 months…but it does apply here. We need flexibility in general and we really need it now.
Recent Comments