Change is one of life’s few guarantees, but adapting to it isn’t always easy, especially for clients who are still developing coping skills. When plans fall through, it’s natural to feel frustrated. What helps during these moments is flexibility — the ability to adjust and move forward without losing sight of what matters. Being flexible helps people build resilience.
The Be Flexible handout guides clients through key skills that support flexibility: practicing acceptance, adjusting expectations, finding alternative paths, and staying patient. Each part is written in simple language to guide reflection and real-life application.
Using this handout regularly helps kids and teens develop confidence and emotional stability, especially when things don’t go exactly as planned. One simple place to start is encouraging them to name a recent disappointment and brainstorm how else they could have responded.
As a challenge, parents or educators can introduce a “flexible thinking box” — a small container filled with everyday challenges written on slips of paper. Young people can pick a challenge and practice thinking of several possible responses.
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References:
- Arici-Ozcan, N., Cekici, F., & Arslan, R. (2019). The relationship between resilience and distress tolerance in college students: The mediator role of cognitive flexibility and difficulties in emotion regulation. International Journal of Educational Methodology, 5(4), 525-533. https://doi.org/10.12973/ijem.5.4.525
- Zheng, W., Akaliyski, P., Ma, C., & Xu, Y. (2024). Cognitive flexibility and academic performance: Individual and cross-national patterns among adolescents in 57 countries. Personality and Individual Differences, 217, 112455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112455
