How to manage your life when executive function is poor

Even if you haven’t heard the word “executive function,” you may be keenly aware of how important it is to your daily life.Executive function is often described as: Brain management system: This is the part responsible for planning, prioritizing, and executing tasks.

“Executive function is the CEO of the brain,” he said. Jessica McCabeYouTube channel host ADHD method.. “Executive function is a set of cognitive processes that help you adjust yourself so that you can effectively plan, prioritize, and maintain your commitment to long-term goals.”

What does executive function control?

A significant number of tasks can be completed, including the ability to accurately predict what is needed, the ability to solve problems when problems occur, and the emotional self-control to perform tasks when they become: Mental skills are required. It’s harder than expected. It is the foundation of a variety of skills, including focus, planning and execution, prioritization, task completion, understanding multiple perspectives, adjusting emotions, and tracking what is done.

“We are talking about turning intentions into actions,” he said. Ali Tuckman, A clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of ADHD. It takes a combination of working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control to actually finish it from what you intend to do.

In real life, executive function issues include losing keys every day, missing appointments because you keep forgetting them, struggling to complete a project at work, or forgetting to pay your credit card bill. It may appear that you are incurring late fees. You can’t keep time or organized. “It affects every aspect of our lives,” McCabe said.

May affect executive function By disorders like depression, anxiety, ADHD. Stress and lack of sleep can also lead to short-term disabilities.

Strategies for dealing with executive function issues

The biggest challenge in dealing with executive function issues is that all solutions Also Execution function is required to execute. “It’s nice to suggest to people with ADHD to make a list, but they probably made a list. They lost them. Or they have a way to prioritize them. I didn’t know, “said McCabe, who was diagnosed with ADHD when she was young.

This is why we deal with executive function issues Rewarding — it is necessary for almost everything you do and affects almost every aspect of your life. For conditions like ADHD, the most effective way to improve executive function is to seek treatment.Main strategies Often it is a medicine. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorderThis is believed to be due to a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine. However, as McCabe points out, medicines help improve the underlying cause, but “tablets do not teach skills.”

Drugs help address the underlying neurobiological cause, but they are not Please tell me the required life skills To achieve your goals.Therefore, the most Effective treatment policy Generally, it is a medication combined with treatment that helps develop the necessary skills.

Limit (further) obstacles to executive function

If you have problems with executive function, it will help you to support it in every possible way, including your lifestyle. Stress and lack of sleep can lead to short-term impaired executive functioning, but diet and exercise can help you achieve your best performance.

“It doesn’t make you Superman, it doesn’t make you better than you, but it at least allows you to bring in the best of what you’ve got,” Tuckman said. Of course, like many of these strategies, the double pain is to prioritize sleep, diet when you are overwhelmed. Exercise requires important executive function. “This kind of thing exacerbates the bad situation,” Tuckman said.

Introduce strategies one by one

There are 100 different strategies and tricks that can help with executive function issues. However, as McCabe points out, “ Much of the support we need is in the implementation of these strategies. Every time we add something new to the plate to support executive function, it throws things away for us. ”

Instead, McCabe suggested that he be selective about introducing new strategies, Time to get used to met. She also strongly recommends thinking about what worked in the past and using it as a guide to what works now. “Don’t start from the beginning,” she said. “It’s difficult for executive function.”

One of the most important things you can do to support executive function is to make sure you’re spending your time doing what’s important, rather than trying to do everything. “Staying on top of everything isn’t practical for most people, not to mention those with executive function challenges,” McCabe said.

Possible strategies include minimalism, automation, and wise choice of combat. “If you want to do more, do less. The more we are trying to do, the more we have to track and the executive function keeps track of it all. It’s going to be harder to do, “said McCabe.

Understand that this is an ongoing task

MeExecutive function improvements and support It’s a lifelong process.Today’s help may not work a year from now The situation is Changed — and Good day will come And a bad day.

“Focus on long games,” Tuckman said. “Focus on finding better systems and strategies, then view and continue to apply them. If today was a bad day, come back tomorrow and start over.”