3 Everyday Tools to Support Flexible Thinking

Written By Carley Benkhadra
 
 

Ever feel like your brain is stuck in “oh-no” mode when plans change? That’s your cognitive flexibility throwing a toddler sized tantrum. It’s basically your brain trying to switch gears without crashing.

Luckily, you don’t need to be a master of mind yoga to get flexible, just use your handy dandy: Calendars, Lists, and Timers.

Calendars are like your brain’s GPS.

When life throws a curveball (because it always does), you can shuffle things around without losing your mind. 

  • You can shift tasks around easily if something urgent pops up

  • You gain awareness of your available time blocks, allowing for quick reprioritization

  • You learn to anticipate upcoming deadlines and prepare accordingly, reducing last-minute stress

Lists are your mental cheat sheets.

They keep your tasks from escaping your brain’s RAM. 

  • Creating a “to-do” list lets you see everything at once, making it easier to switch between tasks without losing track

  • Prioritizing or categorizing your list (e.g., urgent vs. low priority) helps you decide on the fly what to focus on next

  • You can easily add, remove, or reorder tasks, practicing mental flexibility by shifting your plans as needed

Timers are the ultimate drill sergeant.

They tell you when to work, when to break, and when to stop binge-watching Netflix.

  • Break tasks into manageable chunks, making it easier to switch between activities without burnout

  • Train your brain to transition smoothly when the timer goes off, building mental agility

  • Maintain a healthy balance between focused work and breaks, preventing fatigue that hampers flexible thinking

So, if your brain’s ever feeling stuck, give these simple tools a try! 

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Carley Benkhadra

Carley Benkhadra holds a Master of Arts in Leadership with a Curriculum Focus from Loyola University and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Special Education from Towson University. She was a tenured Home School Model teacher in Montgomery County with more than ten years of experience working as a teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Carley prides herself on establishing strong lasting relationships with her students and their families, discerning their specific strengths and needs, and helping them realize their full academic and intellectual potential.  She has tutored kindergarten through twelfth grade students, specifically using the Orton Gillingham Phonics Intervention method and iReady — a math-based intervention.

She has extensive experience teaching executive functioning skills such as organization, time management, social-emotional regulation, building peer relationships, study skills, phonics (encoding and decoding), time management skills, and goal-setting.

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