Executive Functions
Executive functions are the cognitive or mental processes to organise ourselves - to plan, prioritise and start tasks, manage time, control impulses, focus our attention, manage emotions, manage our responses to unexpected changes, hold things in our memory to direct next steps/actions (working memory).
Executive functions become a challenge when working towards goals. Our everyday life is filled with goals, whether it is to get up and have breakfast, have an ironed shirt for work, get the kids to school on time, plan a holiday, pay bills on time or manage a team or project.
Challenges with executive functions might look like this:
Difficulty in determining where to start or what the next step is – it might appear as procrastination
Time blindness- losing sight of events further along the line than “now”, which complicates managing deadlines or longer-term projects.
Getting distracted and forgetting information or misplacing things – missing events, seeming disorganised.
Challenges in regulating emotions – finding it hard to shift a low mood, experiencing heightened emotional reactions.
Regulating behaviour and inhibiting response to impulses – getting distracted, becoming engrossed in something that is an area of interest, retaining motivation for longer-term goals.
Examples of some strategies to consider:
Breaking bigger tasks into smaller chunks
Using a body double (this one always makes me smile 😊)
Working for set blocks of time, e.g. 20 minutes at a time, interspersed with short breaks.
Creating headspace
Developing self-awareness of your own responses to external stimuli, what sets you up for success and what constitutes an environment which brings out your best
Practicing grounding techniques like breathing
Mindfulness practice
Talking through bigger tasks with someone to allow external processing
There are endless strategies to try, but the solution starts with awareness of yourself and your situation. During coaching, we work together to find what works to make life lighter for you, in your situation.
To find out more, reach out to have a chat.