Is Psychological Flexibility the Key to Sustainable Entrepreneurship?
Recently, I’ve had some conversations with my fellow entrepreneur colleagues and clients about defining and enhancing psychological flexibility.
Now, you may not be familiar with that term, but I bet you know what it is to exercise it or not.
When someone heckles you at a speaking engagement and you choose to process it in a way that doesn’t create a negative meaning about yourself…
When your pitch is rejected 80 times out of 100, but you keep pitching anyway…
When you feel stuck in creativity and motivation, yet you choose to rest and find your flow activators, choosing a positive outlook…
Whether you are an entrepreneur, thought leader, speaker, leader, or in the public eye, these roles are often seen as challenging in many aspects and require a certain level of resilience and adaptability to overcome obstacles. Psychological flexibility is a concept that has been gaining more traction in the entrepreneurial world in recent years as a valuable skill to cultivate.
So what is it?
Psychological flexibility is a concept that refers to the ability to adapt to changing situations and handle challenges in a flexible way. It involves the willingness to experience difficult emotions and thoughts, and to act in accordance with one's values, even when faced with discomfort or uncertainty. Research has shown that psychological flexibility is a key predictor of well-being, resilience, and success in various domains of life, including work, relationships, creativity and health.
Psychological flexibility is a central concept in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that emphasizes mindfulness, values, and action. These principles can be easily adapted to coaching and consulting spaces to enhance personal development, and principles which I use with my clients regularly.
According to ACT, psychological flexibility involves six core processes:
Acceptance: the willingness to experience difficult emotions and thoughts without trying to avoid or control them.
Cognitive defusion: the ability to distance oneself from unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, and see them as passing events rather than absolute truths.
Mindfulness: the ability to be present in the moment, fully engaged in whatever one is doing, and aware of one's thoughts and feelings without judgment.
Self-as-context: the ability to see oneself as an ongoing process rather than a fixed entity, and to maintain a sense of perspective on one's thoughts and feelings.
Values: the ability to identify and commit to personal values that are important and meaningful, and to take actions that align with those values.
Committed action: the ability to take effective action towards one's values, even in the presence of difficult thoughts and emotions.
I love this clear depiction of the ACT model framework:
Think about all of the ways in which entrepreneurs, leaders, and top performers deal with adversity…rejections, disappointing launches, difficulty in workplace culture, not meeting consistent income goals, managing energy on tough days… It’s truly about being able to take a step back and observe what is happening within ourselves, look at our thought processes more objectively (to not take things personally or make it about ourselves when it's not), and take aligned, committed action that represents what we value.
One study conducted by Bendell et al. (2016) explored the relationship between psychological flexibility and entrepreneurial success among small business owners. The researchers found that higher levels of psychological flexibility were positively associated with greater business success. This suggests that developing psychological flexibility is a valuable strategy for entrepreneurs looking to achieve their goals.
Psychological flexibility has also been linked to creativity, which is an important factor in entrepreneurship. A study conducted by Puccio et al. (2016) found that individuals who scored higher on measures of psychological flexibility were more likely to generate creative solutions to problems. This suggests that developing psychological flexibility may help entrepreneurs to think more creatively and come up with innovative solutions to challenges they encounter.
In addition to these benefits, research has also shown that psychological flexibility is positively associated with well-being. A study conducted by Kashdan et al. (2017) found that psychological flexibility was associated with greater life satisfaction and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. This suggests that developing psychological flexibility may not only benefit entrepreneurs in terms of their business success but also their overall emotional well-being.
So how do we cultivate more psychological flexibility?
There are several strategies that can help, and I recommend working with a professional coach or therapist to support you in this journey to collapse time using their expertise on the following:
Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment, without judgment or distraction. Mindfulness meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness practices can help individuals develop greater awareness and acceptance of their thoughts and emotions.
Identify personal values: Individuals can identify their personal values by reflecting on what is most important and meaningful to them. By clarifying their values, individuals can align their actions with their values, even when faced with difficult situations.
Challenge unhelpful thoughts: Cognitive defusion techniques, such as labeling thoughts as "just thoughts" or imagining them as clouds passing by, can help individuals distance themselves from unhelpful thoughts and beliefs.
Practice acceptance: Acceptance involves acknowledging and allowing difficult thoughts and emotions, rather than trying to avoid or control them. Mindfulness, meditation, and self-compassion practices can help individuals develop greater acceptance.
Take committed action: Committed action involves taking effective steps towards one's values, even when faced with discomfort or uncertainty. Individuals can break down larger goals into smaller, achievable steps and focus on taking action rather than getting stuck in rumination or worry.
Engage in coaching or therapy. I have seen both my therapy and coaching clients benefit from tools and models of thinking, processing, and alignment. I often adapt models that came from the field of psychology into simple, coaching appropriate tools and education. These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) and more.
Psychological flexibility is a key component of well-being and resilience. By developing greater awareness, acceptance, and commitment to personal values, individuals can cultivate greater psychological flexibility and enjoy the benefits of a more adaptive, fulfilling life. Whether through improved mental health, well-being, better relationships, resilience, and better work performance and satisfaction, you can use psychological flexibility in any facet of your life.
If you are looking to level up your life with evidence-based and intuitive-based coaching for yourself and/or your executive team, Angela M. Williams, LCSW, is a licensed therapist, coach, speaker and founder of Angela Marie Coaching, LLC with over 14 years experience in the fields of social work and psychology. Visit https://www.angelamarie.co/ for more information.
Angela Williams, LCSW
Angela Williams is a licensed therapist, podcast host, and founder of Angela Marie Coaching, a lifestyle coaching business that empowers high-profile leaders and changemakers to reach their next level of success. Angela has helped thousands of individuals learn, grow and become inspired to reach their next level of transformation in her work as a therapist, coach, educator and speaker.
Her mission is to empower high-achieving individuals to elevate their potential so they can achieve their dreams, enjoy their lives, and impact future generations for good.
