3 Practical Executive Function Tips
Who Is This For?
Today I am going to focus on executive dysfunction, which is a central part of the ADHD neurotype. Now ADHDer’s don’t have a corner on the executive dysfunction market, so you don’t need to be ADHD in order for this article to be useful for you. Difficulty with executive functions can be a part of grief, PTSD and CPTSD, menopause, traumatic brain injuries (like concussions), depression, and many other human experiences.
Now I find it pretty regular that people will talk about having ‘executive dysfunction’ without a lot of clarity on what that actually means. This is why I built a workshop called The Executive Function Luncheon. If you want to run experiments to support your executive functions we need to get really specific about which executive functions you need support with. The Luncheon is all about exploring our executive functions, and designing your own experiments to find the supports that work for you. None of this ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ nonsense.
A Teaser Trailer
First thing is first, what are the executive functions? Depending on where you look the list can get awfully long and convoluted, so I am going to reference the work of Dr. Barkley to give you a succinct list of 7. These are the building blocks that can be assembled together into more complex processes like time awareness or delayed gratification.
The 7 Executive Functions
Self Awareness
Inhibition
Non Verbal Working Memory
Verbal Working Memory
Emotional Regulation
Self-Motivation
Planning/Problem Solving
Consider this list a teaser trailer for The Executive Function Luncheon. We dig into each of these 7 things in detail, talk about how to identify our strengths and weaknesses, and then design custom supports that work for us instead of against us. That said, it is important to us here at Alchemy that you have some things to explore right now, without time or money barriers. So here are 3 potential experiments to try out to support specific executive functions.
Building in A Buffer
This tip supports the experience of having low inhibition, resulting in difficulty with impulse control. Impulse purchases draining your bank account? Constantly putting your foot in your mouth because you say the first thing that comes into your head? Auto replying yes to commitments before considering if you have the time and energy to do those things?These can all be traced back to our executive function of inhibition. One way we can support our brains with this is to do something that creates space and time between our impulse and our taking action.
Okay this one might sound a little weird but what if you tried building in an action between the impulse to do or say something, and actually doing or saying the thing? And I am talking a action physical and/or verbal action that you actually do whenever you are hit with an impulse. Let me give you an example.
When you are online browsing and you have the impulse to hit the buy now button, try inserting a physical action you use to delay yourself like rubbing your hands together and saying out loud “mmmmm, let me think about this”. I know it sounds odd, but by putting this physical and auditory buffer in you buy yourself a few precious seconds to shift from action to thought, allowing you more control over the action you do take. Still wanna buy the thing? No worries, feel free to live your favourite life. At least now you are making a conscious choice instead of letting your impulses drive you without your consent.
2. Create An External Working Memory
Working memory is the executive function that holds our thoughts in an easily accessible space. Working memory can be both verbal or nonverbal and it is important for recall, time awareness, and a whole host of planning and organizational tasks. There are things you can do to strengthen your working memory, but there are only so many things you can hold in your mind at a time.
Enter the external working memory. Just like an external hard drive for your computer, this is a place you can store things you want to remember without needing to take up space inside your brain. Some people will use a note on their phone for this, but that is risky business for many of us. Too many potential distractions on my phone, I end up unlocking it and suddenly discovering I’ve fallen into a social media hole and now I don’t know what I was trying to do in the first place.
So I like to keep is analog. I have a small notebook that fits inside of my wallet, with a pen attached, so that I always have it with me. As I go about my day when things pop up that I want to remember I write them in my little notebook. I try to make a point of checking in with what I have written down when I catch myself in a ‘now what am I supposed to be doing right now?’ moment. I don’t need to remember all the specific things I need to do, I only need to remember to check my external working memory. This lowers the amount of internal spoons needed to keep track of things, and lowers the anxiety that comes with needing to remember things and not trusting that I will be able to do it.
3. Make Time Physical
This tip is for all the folx who struggle to transition between tasks. Do you get stuck doing something longer than you intended to because time feels fake? If ignoring alarms were an Olympic sport would you have a display case full of medals? The ability to stop doing a thing after a set amount of time requires a whole host of executive functions working together. You need self awareness and working memory to notice time passing. You need emotional regulation and inhibition to stop the thing you are currently doing, especially if it’s something that is rewarding, like watching little videos on your phone. Then you need self motivation to start the next thing. Damn, I am getting tired just writing about it.
Photo by Yucel Moran on Unsplash
To take some of the complexity out of this task for you, you can try out manufacturing some motivation with a physical marker for time that forces you to get up and attend to it. Stick with me here, try finding something tangible that you cannot ignore to keep time for you. Something that requires you to physically move and which is disruptive enough to catch your attention.
Need to spend ten minutes doing something? Set one of those screaming tea kettles to boil. That takes a set amount of time, and when it does boil you have to physically get up and do something to make the whistle stop. Then take advantage of your movement once you are up to start the next task. Now if the kettle isn’t your cup of tea (pun intended) there are other things you can try. Making a playlist where the first seven songs are your flow music, and then the 8th is a kind of music that is completely different and grabs your attention for example (7 plays of Hot To Go, followed by a sudden Metalica song) The key is that time is now asking you to physically engage with it.
As Always, Make It Yours
These strategies need to be personalized to work well. If executive function support was one size fits all, those agendas they made us fill out in elementary would have actually worked to get you to remember things. So keep what sparks for you and throw the rest away. Run an experiment, see how it goes, and adjust once you have more data. FOR SCIENCE!
Interested in learning more about Executive Functions? Folx on our mailing list to get first dibs on tickets to The Executive Function Luncheon this summer! Not on the Alchemist’s List? Sign up here!