Psychological Flexibility- Resources

Psychological flexibility: The key towards enhancing emotional and psychological well-being

Psychological flexibility is the capacity to fully contact the present moment and all of one’s experiences—including thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations—without needless avoidance or struggle, while taking action in service of chosen values.

Psychological flexibility is a foundational concept in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and represents the opposite of rigid, reactive patterns that often contribute to suffering.

Rather than trying to eliminate discomfort or control internal experiences, psychological flexibility emphasizes openness, perspective, and purposeful action, enabling individuals to live richer, more meaningful lives even in the presence of stress or adversity.

This concept is operationalized through six interrelated dimensions, often represented in the HELOFLEX model:

1. Self as Context – The observing self, a stable perspective from which one notices thoughts, feelings, and experiences without becoming fused with them. This dimension allows people to step back from self-critical narratives and develop a more grounded sense of identity.

2. Cognitive Defusion – The process of “unhooking” from thoughts so that they are experienced as passing mental events rather than absolute truths. Defusion reduces the influence of unhelpful cognitions and enhances flexibility in decision-making

3. Mindfulness / Present Moment Awareness – Paying attention purposefully and non-judgmentally to what is happening in the here and now. This awareness fosters clarity, reduces automatic reactivity, and supports intentional behaviour.

4. Acceptance – The willingness to experience unwanted thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without unnecessary struggle or avoidance. Acceptance helps conserve energy for action rather than futile attempts to control internal experience.

5. Values – Clarifying what matters most and using these values to guide behaviour. Values provide motivation and direction, ensuring that actions are meaningful and aligned with personal priorities.

6. Committed Action – Taking concrete steps guided by values, even in the presence of discomfort. Committed action transforms insight into real-world change and reinforces a sense of agency and purpose.

See where you are on these core skills by completing the self-inventory handout.

Training these six skills is critical because human distress often arises not from the experiences themselves, but from rigid attempts to control or avoid them.

Research demonstrates that psychological flexibility is strongly associated with improved mental health outcomes, including reduced anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as enhanced life satisfaction, resilience, and well-being (Hayes et al., 2006; Gloster et al., 2017).

ACT-based interventions that cultivate these skills have been shown across hundreds of studies to be effective for diverse populations, from chronic pain patients to individuals experiencing mood disorders, demonstrating both short- and long-term benefits.

In essence, psychological flexibility equips people to engage fully with life, pursue meaningful goals, and navigate challenges without being overwhelmed by internal experiences. It is not a strategy to eliminate difficulty but a set of skills that allow individuals to respond adaptively, increase resilience, and live according to what truly matters to them.

ACTION: 1) Watch the videos below to enhance your knowledge about psychological flexibility 2) Assess your own psychological flexibility using this Psych flex measure 3) Focus on one Psychological flexibility skill at a time (for a week or two) and complete those modules (see links above).

References

Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2006). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An experiential approach to behaviour change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

Gloster, A. T., Walder, N., Levin, M. E., Twohig, M. P., & Karekla, M. (2020). The empirical status of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A review of meta‑analyses. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 15, 39–50.