{"id":221464,"date":"2025-09-12T17:51:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T17:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/221464\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T17:51:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T17:51:10","slug":"what-is-executive-dysfunction-and-how-do-you-overcome-it-well-actually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/221464\/","title":{"rendered":"What is \u2018executive dysfunction\u2019 and how do you overcome it? | Well actually"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an ultra-viral TikTok video<\/a>, a woman lies on her couch. \u201cI\u2019m tired. I should shower so it\u2019ll wake me up; if I shower, I should exercise first so I don\u2019t have to shower twice,\u201d intones the voiceover. \u201cIf I\u2019m going to exercise, I should eat first; if I\u2019m going to cook, I should have coffee first so I have energy to cook,\u201d it continues. The video \u2013 which has almost 5m views \u2013 bears the caption: \u201cWhat executive dysfunction looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hundreds of videos have circulated through social media, pinning people\u2019s various struggles on \u201cexecutive dysfunction\u201d. Each video follows similar themes: showing people failing to initiate tasks, growing overwhelmed by household chores or theorizing why they\u2019re never on time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But what is executive dysfunction? Why do people experience it, and what can be done to mitigate it? Additionally, what is executive function? We asked experts to explain.<\/p>\n

What is executive function?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Executive function is the ability to manage and organize tasks on a daily basis, says Mai Uchida, a pediatric psychiatrist at Massachusetts general hospital and an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. This includes planning, prioritizing and thinking about how long a task will take you before you need to move on to the next thing. But it also includes the ability to break down larger tasks into smaller ones, being able to shift attention from one task to another, and maintaining working memory.<\/p>\n

What is executive dysfunction?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cExecutive dysfunction\u201d, on the other hand, is not really a term used by mental health professionals. You\u2019re much more likely to hear a professional say that a person \u201chas difficulties with executive functioning\u201d or \u201chas poor executive function\u201d, says Kristin Carothers, a clinical psychologist based in Atlanta and New York. These professionals don\u2019t want to label anyone as \u201cdysfunctional\u201d, she says.<\/p>\n

But the idea of executive dysfunction does get at a real experience that some people live with.<\/p>\n

The obvious hallmarks of poor executive function include difficulty initiating tasks, missing or running up against deadlines, being late, and losing things. But it can also include patterns such as poor impulse control and overspending, difficulties in following through on promises, and overestimating your ability to follow through on commitments, says Carothers.<\/p>\n

Critically, \u201cpoor executive function\u201d and \u201cexecutive dysfunction\u201d are not diagnoses, says Uchida. You cannot be diagnosed with either of these terms, but poor executive function could be a symptom that accompanies a genuine psychiatric condition. Most often, poor executive function is associated with ADHD, she says, though \u201cthere are plenty of people with ADHD who don\u2019t have executive functioning difficulties\u201d. It has no relationship to intelligence. Executive functioning difficulties can also accompany anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n

What has a negative effect on executive function?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like most other human traits, executive function exists on a spectrum. \u201cIt\u2019s on a bell curve, where most people are somewhere in the middle,\u201d says Ari Tuckman, a clinical psychologist in Westchester, Pennsylvania. Executive function can also change over your lifetime. For example, \u201cadults have better executive function than kids\u201d, he says. It can decline a bit as a consequence of normal ageing, and those going through menopause will also likely see a greater degree of change as a side-effect of hormonal changes.<\/p>\n

Life circumstances can also affect executive function. \u201cIf you have a bad night\u2019s sleep or if you have the flu\u201d, your executive function will take a hit, Tuckman says. Bouts of depression or anxiety, stress, intoxication, head injuries and being busier than usual are also influential factors.<\/p>\n

If you normally don\u2019t struggle with executive function but are having trouble because of temporary life circumstances \u2013 such as getting poor sleep, or being busier than usual \u2013 things should return to normal afterward. But if you have chronic, persistent trouble with managing daily tasks, to the point that it\u2019s affecting your personal and professional life, that might be a sign that there\u2019s an underlying issue, and you might want to see a professional, says Carothers.<\/p>\n

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Are there ways to improve executive function?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your ability to manage and organize tasks is made worse because of existing anxiety or depression, treatments such as therapy or medication to alleviate those psychiatric conditions will also lead to improved executive function, says Tuckman.<\/p>\n

For ADHD, however, while taking medications for the condition can help people avoid distraction and improve concentration, executive functioning skills like \u201corganization, prioritization, and time management are not really treated by the medication\u201d, says Uchida.<\/p>\n

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While there are no real treatments explicitly for poor executive function, there are strategies and workarounds that professionals recommend to help make time management easier. Many are tried and true organizational strategies, says Tuckman: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to reinvent the wheel.\u201d For example, set up multiple reminders and alarms for yourself, and write out on paper checklists of things to do, even for tasks that are extremely small and easy.<\/p>\n

Reflect on and try to recognize the patterns that get you into trouble. If you have a work deadline approaching, and you know you tend to lose track of time when you open up and scroll through Instagram, try temporarily removing the app from your phone. Essentially, avoid putting yourself into situations that require more impulse control than you are able to muster, says Tuckman.<\/p>\n

If you get overwhelmed by the size of a task and have trouble getting started, Uchida recommends finding a small amount of time you can commit to. Maybe that\u2019s 15 minutes; maybe it\u2019s just five. Then dedicate just that small amount of time to the task. \u201cWhen the bar is low, it\u2019s a lot easier to get started,\u201d says Uchida, \u201cand sometimes it\u2019s just getting started that\u2019s difficult.\u201d You might find that after that first 15 minutes, you have the ability to keep going. Or you might need a break before you commit to another 15. You have to find and adapt strategies that work for you, she says.<\/p>\n

Carothers also recommends turning to community to help you understand where you might need assistance. \u201cSometimes other people have more insight into your behavioral patterns than you do,\u201d she says. \u201cAsk a trusted friend, colleague, romantic partner for areas where they\u2019ve noticed you struggle.\u201d Then ask them to help you brainstorm workarounds for those specific circumstances \u2013 they might have ideas that you never learned or considered. \u201cStrong social connections are important,\u201d Carothers says. \u201cLearn from the people around you.\u201d<\/p>\n