What Is Executive Function - And Why Is Executive Dysfunction So Bad for Mental Health?
Summary
TLDREmma McAdam, a licensed marriage and family therapist, explains the significance of executive function skills in managing daily life challenges, such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety. She emphasizes that deficits in these skills can make people feel overwhelmed and ineffective, but specific strategies and interventions can improve productivity and mental health. McAdam introduces the POSITIVE acronym for key executive function skills and highlights the importance of tailored coaching, systems, and routines to enhance these skills. Ultimately, developing executive function skills can lead to better emotional regulation, relationships, and overall quality of life.
Takeaways
- 🌊 Executive function deficits feel like being stuck in the ocean, constantly battling waves.
- 🧠 Executive function involves mental skills coordinated by the brain's frontal lobe, managing thoughts, emotions, and actions.
- 📊 Deficits in executive function can manifest in ADHD, depression, PTSD, anxiety, impulse control issues, and procrastination.
- 📈 Improving executive function can provide specific, actionable solutions to daily challenges and mental health issues.
- 📚 Executive function skills include planning, organization, self-management, inhibition, time management, task initiation, visualization, and evaluation.
- 📋 Deficits in executive function can lead to shame, feeling broken, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
- 🔧 Executive function skills can be developed through specific strategies, interventions, and supports tailored to individual needs.
- 🧩 Identifying specific executive function deficits allows for targeted interventions and accommodations, improving productivity and mental health.
- 👥 Coaching, including executive function coaches, school counselors, tutors, therapists, and ADHD specialists, can help develop these skills.
- 🛠️ Small tweaks and systems, like using visual reminders and establishing routines, can significantly improve executive function and daily life management.
Q & A
What analogy does Emma McAdam use to describe life without executive function skills?
-Emma McAdam compares it to swimming in the ocean with waves constantly crashing against you, making it difficult to get out and feeling like you're being crushed.
What are some common diagnoses related to executive function deficits mentioned in the script?
-ADHD, depression, PTSD, and anxiety are mentioned as common diagnoses related to executive function deficits.
Why is it important to learn about executive function according to Emma McAdam?
-Learning about executive function is important because it allows individuals to identify specific problems and develop skills to solve them, improving productivity, functioning, and mental health.
What does executive function help with, according to the script?
-Executive function helps sort through information, delay gratification, manage thoughts and emotions, and decide what is most important, aiding in taking action towards goals.
What are some signs of executive function deficits as described in the script?
-Signs of executive function deficits include difficulty managing time, organizing tasks, delaying gratification, and holding and processing thoughts, leading to issues like piles of unfolded laundry, overflowing email inboxes, and being late.
Who is Dr. Russell Barkley and what does he say about ADHD?
-Dr. Russell Barkley is an expert mentioned in the script who says that ADHD is essentially a disorder of executive function with a high heritability estimate of upwards of 80%.
What is the acronym POSITIVE used for in the context of executive function skills?
-The acronym POSITIVE stands for Planning, Organization, Self-management, Inhibition, Time management, Initiation of difficult tasks, Visualizing outcomes, and Evaluating priorities, representing different executive function skills.
How did learning about 'time blindness' help one of Emma McAdam's clients?
-Learning about 'time blindness' helped the client understand their difficulty in keeping track of time, leading them to implement strategies like visual reminders, alerts, and using a visual calendar to become more productive.
What are some examples of executive function strategies mentioned in the script?
-Examples include making lists, using visual trackers or apps like ClickUp, Pomodoro timers, specific routines, cues associated with incentives, rewards, and systems like body doubles.
What are the 'big three' for brain health that can improve executive function?
-The 'big three' for brain health are sleep, exercise, and good nutrition, which can all contribute to improved executive function.
Outlines
🌊 Struggling with Waves of Executive Dysfunction
Emma McAdam, a licensed marriage and family therapist, compares life without executive function skills to swimming against crashing waves. She explains that many people experience difficulties with impulse control, procrastination, and reaching goals. Instead of jumping to diagnoses like ADHD or anxiety, Emma suggests understanding executive function skills, which can help identify specific problems and solutions. Executive function involves mental skills in the brain's frontal lobe that manage information, emotions, and actions toward goals. Deficits can make individuals seem lazy or disorganized, but they actually stem from issues like ADHD or other neurodiversities. Understanding and developing these skills can improve productivity and mental health.
🧠 The Importance of Executive Function Skills
Emma elaborates on executive function skills using Sean McCormick's POSITIVE acronym: Planning, Organization, Self-management, Inhibition, Time management, Initiation of tasks, Visualizing outcomes, and Evaluating priorities. She highlights a study by Dr. Adele Diamond showing that these skills improve quality of life, reduce divorce rates, and predict academic success. Without these skills, life feels like swimming against crashing waves. Developing them is like riding waves with a surfboard, making progress toward long-term goals. Emma emphasizes that the issue isn't laziness or lack of effort, but rather not knowing what skills are lacking and how to develop them.
🔍 Identifying and Developing Executive Function Skills
Emma discusses the value of psychological and academic testing to understand executive functioning strengths and deficits. These tests can be expensive but are valuable for getting necessary accommodations. She stresses the importance of getting clear on big-picture goals and identifying specific executive function challenges. Working with coaches or specialists can help develop tailored strategies. Emma shares practical examples like using visual reminders and timers for time management, or creating systems to avoid losing items. She concludes by highlighting the importance of sleep, exercise, and nutrition for brain health and executive function improvement.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Executive Function
💡ADHD
💡Impulse Control
💡Procrastination
💡Time Management
💡Emotional Regulation
💡Organizational Skills
💡Executive Function Coach
💡Neurodiversity
💡POSITIVE Acronym
💡Accommodations
💡Systems and Routines
💡Brain Health
Highlights
Emma McAdam, a licensed marriage and family therapist, discusses the importance of understanding executive function skills.
Executive function skills are crucial for managing thoughts, emotions, and actions towards achieving goals.
Deficits in executive function can manifest in conditions like ADHD, depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
People with executive function deficits may appear lazy, impulsive, or disorganized, but these are symptoms of underlying issues.
Improving executive function skills can significantly enhance productivity, mental health, and quality of life.
Executive function involves planning, organization, self-management, inhibition, time management, task initiation, visualizing outcomes, and evaluating priorities.
Sean McCormick's POSITIVE acronym helps to remember key executive function skills: Planning, Organization, Self-management, Inhibition, Time management, Initiation, Visualizing outcomes, Evaluating priorities.
Dr. Adele Diamond's research shows that strong executive function skills predict better life outcomes, including higher academic achievement and lower divorce rates.
Understanding and naming specific executive function deficits can lead to targeted interventions and strategies.
There are many practical strategies to improve executive function skills, such as using timers, visual reminders, and organizational tools.
Professional help from coaches, therapists, and specialists can be valuable in developing executive function skills.
Systems and routines, once established, can become automatic and significantly reduce daily stress.
The big three for brain health—sleep, exercise, and good nutrition—are essential for optimal executive function.
Improving executive function skills can enhance emotional regulation, relationships, and overall productivity.
Emma emphasizes the importance of small, consistent changes to develop better executive function skills.
Transcripts
It's almost like you're in the ocean, and you're swimming, and waves just keep crashing, and you
just keep getting stuck, and you can't get out, right? You're just like swimming against these
waves, and you just keep getting crushed. That's how people are experiencing the
day-to-day life without executive function skills. Hey, everyone. I'm Emma McAdam. I'm a licensed marriage
and family therapist. So here's the thing: you or someone you know might have been diagnosed with
ADHD, depression, PTSD, or anxiety because like 30% of the US has had a diagnosis like this.
Or, even more likely, you might struggle with impulse control or procrastination or getting
stuff done. Or maybe you feel overwhelmed or like you're not reaching your goals. And both
the internet and professionals are quick to give a big diagnosis like ADHD or anxiety
or PTSD. But what if it might be more helpful to think of it differently? What if we could
describe the cause of your symptoms in a much more specific, actionable way? Now I cannot say
it loudly enough how important it is to learn about executive function because when you do,
you might be amazed to find out that you have a specific name for a specific problem that has a
specific set of skills that actually solve that problem. So this is why we're going to talk about
what the heck is executive function and six things you can do to improve your executive functioning
skills. Executive function is a set of mental skills coordinated in the brain's frontal
lobe that sorts through information, it delays gratification, it manages thoughts and emotions,
and it decides what is most important. It helps you take action toward your goals instead of just
what you feel like doing. So yeah. It's pretty darn important. But when you have specific deficits in
executive function - and this can include um a full diagnosis like ADHD, or it can be more discreet
like learning disabilities or other neurodiversity - and maybe this hasn't been diagnosed or identified,
um and maybe you don't have the skills to deal with it, you might look lazy or selfish or stupid
or impulsive or otherwise bad. You might have a pile of unfolded laundry, or you might have
dishes in the sink that you just keep avoiding, or your email inbox is overflowing and you and you
don't know where to start. Or you can't seem to get places on time, no matter how how hard you try, or
you can never pay that credit card off or finish your homework. So it's is not that you don't care.
You're not lazy or stupid. It's not that you're not trying. You're probably exhausted from trying.
It's that you struggle with executive functioning. So a deficit in executive functioning underlies a
bunch of mental health disorders and a bunch of like adulting challenges, and this can lead to a
lot of shame and to feeling like you're broken, and that can lead to you feeling really anxious
or depressed. But there is hope because you can develop skills to address your specific executive
function issues. So so first, I will acknowledge that executive function is somewhat hardwired into
our brains. So people are born with differences in their inherent executive function. Uh Dr. Russell
Barkley has said that ADHD is essentially a disorder of executive function. And ADHD is one
of the most biologically predisposed mental health conditions, with a heritability estimate of upwards
of 80%. But even without issues of hyperactivity or attentiveness, some people have deficits in
executive function that seem practically invisible. Uh they might not be able to manage time, or one
part of the brain might process information super fast and the other part is average, so that leaves
these like huge gaps in understanding that a regular IQ test won't even identify. And this
can make it hard to organize tasks or delay gratification or hold and process thoughts in
your mind. But even though executive function is somewhat hardwired into our brain biology,
you don't have to just accept that this is the way things always have been or always will be.
There really is a lot you can do to develop executive functioning skills. So when we can
identify specific executive function needs, we can tailor specific executive function interventions,
supports, and accommodations. And this is really important to productivity and functioning and
mental health. So basically what I'm saying is that when you learn about this, life can be easier.
You can get stuff done, and you can be happier. So let's explore what executive function skills are,
why they're so important, and what you can do to strengthen them. And then, in the next video, we're
going to talk about how deficits in executive function can directly contribute to other mental
health conditions like anxiety and depression. So what are executive function skills? To learn more
about this I talked to with Sean McCormick. He's an executive function coach. So your executive
function skills are the skills or tools that help you reach your goals, and executive functions are
a set of cognitive processes that you can develop by working on those skills. So what he's saying is
that executive function is your ability to plan, organize, start, and finish tasks. It's like the air
traffic controller for your brain. Your executive function takes a big-picture view of all the
things going on, decides which ones are most urgent, which ones are most important, and how to solve any
problems that come up. It's a super important part of your ability to function, to regulate
emotions, and to succeed. And then the processes of your executive function can be managed by
various skills. So Sean has an acronym for these skills. Because there's so many different skills,
I've come up with this acronym, POSITIVE, to help people understand some of the skills you can work
on. So POSITIVE stands for Planning, Organization, Self-management, Inhibition, Time management is the
T, the next I is Initiation of difficult tasks, V is Visualizing outcomes or using your non-Verbal
working memory, and then E is Evaluating priorities so can you actually identify what the next most
important thing is in your kind of domain of things that feel like they're priorities. Okay.
Why is executive function so important? There's a major study done on executive function skills by
this lady named Dr. Adele Diamond. And if you Google her there's videos of her teaching the Dalai Lama
about executive function skills. And she did this study called "Executive Functions," and it's one of
the most cited studies across all research disciplines. And basically what she found in
it were that executive function skills improve your quality of life. They reduce the potential
of divorce. They improve societal mental health outcomes. And for students, they actually predict
uh better long-term success in school, higher rates of graduation. So executive function skills
are highly critical for a high quality of life. So that's the kind of fact. In the research, that's
what it tells us. But then as an executive function coach I've worked with so many students and adults
who their lives were significantly impaired by a lack of executive function skills. It's almost like
if you're in the ocean, and you're swimming, and waves just keep crashing, and you just keep
getting stuck, and you can't get out, right? You're just like swimming against these waves, and you
just keep getting crushed. That's how people are experiencing the day-to-day life without executive
function skills. Developing executive function skills is like getting that surfboard and being
able to ride those waves and actually have a good time, knowing that you can't ride every wave at the
same moment but you can ride one, have a good day, and then paddle out the next day and catch another
good wave and make progress towards your long-term goals. Now, most of us know that we struggle in one
of these areas, but most people also just assume that they are lazy or undisciplined or stupid or
that they just need to try harder. And usually this isn't a very helpful strategy. Um the problem isn't
that you don't care or that you aren't trying; it's that you don't know what you're lacking
and what you need. So we give it a name, and then we can tailor specific accommodations or support
strategies to help fill that gap. Um so let me give you an example. I was working with someone who was
super smart and very talented and hardworking, but he had a hard time finishing his projects. So he
would work longer hours and do more research and work harder and harder and still struggle
to finish his projects. Uh finally I gave him an assignment to write an article on time blindness,
uh which relates to a specific executive function deficit in your ability to keep track of time. So
after he researched it he came back to me and said, "Wait a minute. I have time blindness." He had never
heard of that term, but for once he had a word for it, and then he could learn a bunch more about it
and learn a bunch of strategies to help him, like setting visual reminders and alerts and timers, um
using a visual calendar and an app specifically designed for time blindness. And because he had a
name for it, he started being more productive. So with each of the areas of executive functioning,
there are specific strategies and interventions we can use to help ourselves. Um so for example,
if we have a hard time prioritizing, that's an executive function skill. We can use strategies
like making lists, using visual trackers or apps like ClickUp to manage tasks. Um if we have a
hard time initiating tasks we can use things like Pomodoro timers or uh specific routines and cues
associated with like incentives and rewards or things like body doubles, which is really common
in the ADHD Community. Um here's another example: if we get super overwhelmed by things that we need
to do, we can use brain dumps, coaching, physical organizers, planners, calendars, and mind mapping to
break tasks down into small, manageable chunks. So so it really is possible to improve your executive
functioning. But before we jump into strategies you can do on your own or with a coach, let's
talk about testing for a second. So you can get psychological and academic testing to learn more
about your executive functioning. Um it's often pretty expensive, unfortunately, and it's often also
unfortunately not covered by Insurance a lot of times. Um but if you're a student they'll sometimes
do it for free. And these tests can be really valuable in helping you get a better understanding
of your strengths and deficits, but they can also be used to help you get the accommodations at work
or school that you need to be able to use these skills to manage those deficits. So you can talk
with an academic counselor or a psychologist who specializes in these assessments to come
to understand what your baseline is. And then after you understand what your specific needs
are, then you can develop skills um to help you out. And there are a ton of small, simple executive
functioning skills that can make a huge difference. Um as Sean says, "Small tweaks can lead to big peaks."
So let's talk about how. Number one: get super clear on your big-picture goals. Like why do
you care about this? You could have the best skills in the world, but if you don't have a direction, you
won't arrive at your destination. And then next we want to help you explore specific areas where you
struggle. And again, get as specific as possible. So if your problem is, "I can't get my homework done,"
replace it with um, "I don't know where to start with my homework, so I avoid it by watching a
bunch of TikToks." Um and you might think that your problem is having Instagram on your phone, and and
you might not be wrong, but the executive function issue is an organizational skill deficit. Or you
might say something like um, "After a brainstorm I get overwhelmed and I don't know how to select the
best idea for the paper." Or you might identify a problem by saying, "Oh, I can draft the paper,
but I hate editing it" or "After I finish it I forget to turn it in um and I lose it" or "I miss
the deadline." So you've got to make it concrete. So you might need to write down your problem or talk
it through with someone like a coach to help you figure out what you're missing. And that takes us
to getting coaching. So there are people trained in helping people develop executive function skills.
And these might be coaches uh like Sean or school counselors, tutors, therapists, and ADHD specialists.
And I would say just don't be ashamed to ask for help. Uh the highest-performing athletes and CEOs
use coaching to help them, so you can too. And then once you've kind of identified your problem, you've
had someone maybe give you a second opinion on it or their outside perspective on it, the next
thing you want to do is kind of explore executive functioning skills for that specific area. So you
probably don't know what you don't know, but you can find out what you're missing. So take the time
to make an executive function playlist on YouTube and learn from others, or read a book or
two. Uh there are a gazillion executive function skills, and I I can't cover them all in this video,
um so the third video in this series, I'm making a big video with a huge list of executive function
skills. And you could watch for that to learn more. And then it's also just really important to build
out systems and test those out and try them and see how they worked. Um and and this includes only
making one change at a time. Like I - like Atomic Habits, people. Like I love it. If you haven't
read it, read it. Um so for example, let's say um every time I do my homework I'm going to do it
at my desk. And when I finish my homework I have a place to put that homework in, the red folder,
and that folder goes in my backpack. And that that that's a system, right? Now, this may sound
too simple, but seriously, like systems work. Uh so for me I used to lose my keys all the time, like
multiple times a day. I thought this was normal. Um I just got used to it. But when I got, when I
got married, it drove my husband crazy. So we worked together to figure out a system where
every time I walk in the door I just hang my keys on a hook by the door. And this has worked really
well. So I probably lose my keys now like once a week instead of 10 times a day. So systems can be
really important. And once you build out good ones, the systems turn into routines, and they they can
become almost automatic. They require less and less energy over time. And then, um you know, if
if we are looking at executive functioning, there's the big three for brain health: sleep, exercise, and
good nutrition. Anything that can help your brain uh health can improve your executive functioning.
Okay. So just to summarize: executive function is your brain's ability to start and finish tasks,
remember things, think flexibly, delay impulses, and organize and prioritize things. Um some people have
biological deficits in their executive function, and most people also need to learn and develop
executive functioning skills to really be able to get stuff done and and to live the life that
you value. So with coaching and practice you can develop stronger executive function skills, and it
can help you improve your emotional regulation, your relationships, and your productivity. Okay.
Hope you found that helpful. Um links to Sean's channel and his coaching program are down in
the description too, if you'd like to learn more about that. Thanks for being here, and take care.
[Music]
Voir Plus de Vidéos Connexes
Self-Regulation Skills: Why They Are Fundamental
How your brain's executive function works -- and how to improve it | Sabine Doebel
5 Foods That Naturally Decrease Cortisol, the Stress Hormone
Catastrophizing: How to Stop Making Yourself Depressed and Anxious: Cognitive Distortion Skill #6
Ensure All Voices Are Heard - EPI's Launch Your Classroom!
Sleep, Anxiety, and Insomnia: How to Sleep Better When You're Anxious
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)