Page 49 - November 2020 Voices

Cognitive Flexibility: How to Win Friends and Untwist People

Sudhir Gautam, DL4

and the goal is not always mastery. When you
try to learn something new your brain forms
new pathways and makes you cognitively
more flexible. The more disparate the skills
the better it is. Get out of your comfort zones
and read books that you think you’ll never

like. Travel to places that are culturally as far it will increase cognitive flexibility because
away from what you’ve ever seen before. you’re doing something completely new and
pointless.
Do a routine activity differently everyday—
Leave earlier and take a different route to Benefits of improved Cognitive
work once in a while. Ditch the GPS and be Flexibility
fine with getting lost. Brush your teeth with Here are a few possible benefits of improved
your non-dominant hand. Don’t order your cognitive flexibility:
usual at the restaurant and swipe right on • Improved problem solving skills

someone you think may not be a good fit for • Lower stress and anxiety when
you (as long as they’re not a serial killer). This circumstances change
builds cognitive flexibility over time. • Make more friends
• Be an independent, sovereign person by
Inter-domain knowledge transfer—Take your not taking sides without reason
expertise and knowledge in one area and apply • Better creativity
it in another. If you’re a physical trainer, apply • Possible delay in old age cognitive decline

your progressive loading strength training • Increased confidence and overall wellness
principles to learning a new language and • Career boost
see how it goes. Take your Ivy League MBA
leadership skills and apply them to coaching If you’re stuck on a problem (Example: not
soccer at your child’s elementary school. liking your Toastmaster club lately) and need
to build some cognitive flexibility to help solve
Goat yoga—Doing goat yoga is known to be this problem, please contact us via https://
bad for your physical flexibility and definitely jeffersonstate.toastmastersclubs.org. We have a

leads to fewer party invitations for you but tailored solution waiting for you.

VOICES! | NOVEMBER 2020 49