“Half the game is mental, the other half is being mental” – Jim Mckenny
One thing we all know is that “Change is the only constant”. This means that if you remain stuck with one belief all your life, it will become difficult for you to find success in unexplored arenas. This is something we believe must be inevitably conveyed to children right during the early years of life. It is important for them to know and understand that rigidity will take them nowhere, and instead, mental agility is what they need to keep hold of!
This is especially true with respect to their mental growth, beliefs, and perspectives. At Excelsior American School, one of the top schools in Gurgaon, we firmly believe that to imbue a future-driven approach and vital life skills in young minds, it is rather imperative to build mental agility in them. It is vital that they adopt a flexible approach in all walks of life. And this is exactly what we, being their mentors and guides, always toil for!
So today, in this article below, let us first understand what mental agility is, and we will then move on to the various ways you can adopt to build mental agility in your little ones. Read on.
What is Mental Agility?
Mental agility has a lot to do with an individual’s ability to move from one idea to another. It is basically about inducing one’s life with the ability to making flexible switches.
As you all know, humankind has been posed with unforeseen circumstances oftentimes, which also end up being highly discouraging. However, when most people are at a loss of words and solutions, it is the mentally agile individuals who continue to stand strong in the face of adversities and keep shining irrespective of the situations.top 10 schools in Gurgaon They are prepared to face hurdles and easily come up with realistic ways to beat unpredictable instances.
Do you know what the good part is? Mental agility is not something that’s innate but can be developed instead! This means that children can be taught and trained to be mentally agile. Let us see how that becomes possible in the section below.
Ways to Help Children Adopt Mental Agility
- Let them know that making mistakes is okay
Most people believe that making mistakes shows them in a bad light. It is this fear of making mistakes that keep them away from trying out new things or being flexible in life.
However, we, at Excelsior American School, recognized among the International School in Gurgaon, firmly believe that to build mental agility in children, it is extremely important that children are allowed to exercise their free will and learn from trials and errors. This freedom will eventually take them in the direction of achieving mental agility and clarity. So, make sure that you let your kids try out new things and let them know that even if they fall, you are there to help them stand back on their feet.
- Help them grow beyond their comfort zone
Mental agility starts with getting out of one’s comfort zone. It has a lot to do with taking up challenges, even if it means you are going to fail a few times. It is about taking the plunge and using your mental abilities to land strong. Thus, make it a point to encourage your kids to step out of their comfort zone and embrace challenges in life.
- Self-talks are worth betting on
Do you know who your best motivator is? No, it’s neither your parents nor the mentors. It is YOU! Self-motivation is the best kind of motivation you can get. Thus, teach your children the art of talking themselves out of their fears, incompetence, and feelings of being unworthy. When this approach hits the bull’s eye, you can rest assured that the child has already taken the path of mental agility.
- Pause and breathe is the key
Many believe that the meaning of being competitive is to keep doing something or the other continually. However, at Excelsior American School, we firmly believe that what is more important to be taught to children is that it is okay to take a minute, breathe, and come back stronger. Oftentimes, mental agility has to do with a child’s ability to willingly and consciously take a break without suffering from FOMO, also known as the Fear of Missing Out. This can come in the form of pursuing a hobby, taking a vacation, or planning a sleepover with a friend.
- Open communication channels
Isolation often leads to mental displacement. Contrary to this, spending time among people, who make a difference in your life, can be life-changing. Once children learn to keep their communication channels open, they won’t ever feel low or left out in life. After all, communication is a major driver that backs two-way interactions and enables the smooth expression of emotions and thoughts. Now, since mental agility has a lot to do with children’s ability to express themselves, it is during these interactions that children attain the confidence and ideas to try their skills on.
Summing Up…
At Excelsior American School, one of the Schools in Gurgaon, we firmly believe that one of the main reasons behind children growing into mentally fragile individuals is purely because they are never provided with a chance to learn acceptance. When they keep on viewing problems and challenges as hurdles, which came in their lives to pull them down, they have very little chances of being flexible in life, and thus being mentally agile remains far from possible for them.
Thus, if you wish for your children to develop mental agility, it is crucial that you begin by teaching them acceptance. Let them know that it is okay to falter as that is how they are going to attain valuable experiences in life. Make them aware of their capabilities and let them see challenges as nothing but opportunities that ultimately lead to improvement.
Basically, make sure you are setting the tone right and doing what’s necessary to aid their mental development, and what you can thereby expect is your children growing into strong-willed individuals with absolutely no fear of challenges.
