ADHD and Executive Function - 8 Tips

8 Tips for Executive Dysfunction

What is Executive Function?
According to Dr. Russel Barkley:
“Executive function is the cognitive process that organizes thoughts and activities, prioritizes tasks, manages time efficiently, and makes decisions.
Executive function skills are the skills that help us establish structures and strategies for managing projects and determine the actions required to move each project forward.
Individuals with executive dysfunction often struggle to analyze, plan, organize, schedule, and complete tasks at all — or on deadline. They misplace materials, prioritize the wrong things, and get overwhelmed by big projects.”

People with ADHD often struggle with the following 7 Executive Dysfunctions:
1. Self-awareness
2. Inhibition
3. Non-verbal working memory
4. Verbal working memory
5. Emotional self-regulation
6. Self motivation
7. Planning and Problem solving

In this video, I will share with you 8 Tips to overcome Executive Dysfunction!

References:
ADDitude

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:10 What is Executive Function?
1:08 Tip 1 Write it down
1:52 Tip 2 Make time external
2:42 Tip 3 Pair boring tasks with interesting ones
3:23 Tip 4 Only focus on what’s essential
4:00 Tip 5 Define what “Done” looks like
4:41 Tip 6 Break down big task into smaller ones
5:22 Tip 7 Create a document hotspot
5:47 Tip 8 Create a place for everything

Welcome to The ADHD Mind! Where I share with you interesting facts, tips and inspirations on ADHD. My goal is to help us embrace our ADHD brains and find ways to reach our true potential in life. Hope you will enjoy these videos!

[theadhdmind]

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:10 What is Executive Function?
1:08 Tip 1 Write it down
1:52 Tip 2 Make time external
2:42 Tip 3 Pair boring tasks with interesting ones
3:23 Tip 4 Only focus on what’s essential
4:00 Tip 5 Define what “Done” looks like
4:41 Tip 6 Break down big task into smaller ones
5:22 Tip 7 Create a document hotspot
5:47 Tip 8 Create a place for everything

Feel free to share what tips work best for your Executive Dysfunction in the comments below! Hope you enjoy this video :)

[kamote]

Prior the internet and the rise of short-form contents and doom scrolling, I never actually had much struggle with procrastination and was even always ending up top of the class. But after getting into social media, short-form contents, my already fragile productivity became basically non existent. I was too overstimulated with dopamine that I didnt find the willpower for anything else, and I had no impulse control to stop scrolling. I ended up wasting days after days after days and I was even more dysfunctional than I ever was and it led to major problems in my studies. Now, I got rid of these and I find I am slowly back on track

[Kaotiqua]

Tip 1: Write it- What? Wait. I need a notebook. No, not _that_ notebook, the other one... where did I put that? OMG! Look at this cute thing I drew in the margins of (the wrong) notebook like three years ago! i forgot all about that! I wonder if there are any more of those? _sits down and flips through old notebook_ That was fun. What was I doing? Oh yea- looking for the right notebook. Found it! Now where's my pen? No, not that pen... this pen- or maybe I should use a pencil so I can erase... No, I like pens though. But maybe I should write it in RED... What was I writing down again?

[eringilbert]

When I'm super interested in the video, but I have executive dysfunction. Somewhere around eight attempts in...

Okay, just let it play all the way through to the end this time. Stop restarting from the beginning, hearing the same part over and over, then tuning it out because you already heard this part. Don't get distracted. Really pay attention. Focus, focus, focus. Do nothing else but listen. Okay, how about pause. Yeah, that's it. Every few words, pause to digest. Make sure I heard what I think I heard.

So I finally found something that works for ME and might work for others like me. Following along using the transcript helps me to stay focused on the info in the video.

[Cherie]

I don't have ADHD, but I do have executive dysfunction. This video is great, the best thing I've seen so far with good, practical tips that go beyond making a to-do list. Thank you!

[janettemartel]

Great tips.. I do many...I need visual reminders and need to write things down then have things accessible visually...lots of notes everywhere! Putting notes in phone I will forget..so old ways work best for me...write on paper, make hardcopy lists, focus on one piece at a time otherwise get overwhelmed and then can't process or focus.

[vigneshgvs]

Notes: Will have problems on: 1. Self-awareness 2. Inhibition 3. Non-verbal working memory 4. Verbal working memory 5. Emotional self-regulation 6. Self-motivation 7. Planning and Problem solving. Tips to overcome: 1:08 Tip 1 Write it down, 1:52 Tip 2 Make time external, 2:42 Tip 3 Pair boring tasks with interesting ones, 3:23 Tip 4 Only focus on what’s essential, 4:00 Tip 5 Define what “Done” looks like, 4:41 Tip 6 Break down big task into smaller ones, 5:22 Tip 7 Create a document hotspot, 5:47 Tip 8 Create a place for everything

[TheBeatOfMyHeart]

Not sure why but recently have been struggling more than usual with my executive functions. Feeling lonely and sad. Partner feels like I'm unreliable and I don't care. We have been clashing a lot lately. Idk if I have adhd or not but I'm so desperate to do better I'm going to try these tips and anything that can help me in the meantime. Thank you for educating us. It helps me feel a little less lost

[yusafmagsi]

This video is really helpful. I like what you said about define what 'done' looks like. Usually my issue is not knowing that and hence i do not start. I need to work on that. So i can break down small steps to get there which was the other tip. Thanks for simple but super helpful tips. More on executive function.

[thatzackwheeler]

My ADHD is so bad I didn't even finish this video.

[rong]

Thank you so much for your time and effort in these videos. You are making a difference and I thought you should know. ❤️

[dianabartley]

I found the comment about what Done looks like extremely helpful and keeping documents all in one place! Thank you....

[WelcometoMidnight]

This video is fantastic, thank you so much! :)

[ADHDPatrick]

For me the most important tip is definitely breaking down task, things are much easier when I take small steps one by one towards the goal. Congrats btw on 1000 subs! You could be ADHD coach, you have so much valuable knowledge :)

[ILLRICARDO]

I just find everything have no interest in anything anymore..

[jeanpervil]

I can’t even deal with listening with the video.

[edsjourney]

I need suggestions or tips on how to remember to make a list. I’ll start making lists and then stop out of nowhere. My car has been paid off for three months and I keep forgetting to do everything to make it legally mine.

[clareellis]

I cant understand how people live their life without a watch, especially if you have adhd...

[Domdeone]

Just thinking l would never have children-if adhd is inherited l would not inflict a lifetime of perplexity, co-morbidiry. Stimming, masking, not sleeping, distraction, teacher humiliation, academic frustration, it is just horrible fitting in anywhere

[annwestcott]

AI is really annoying. It also sometimes lies so for that reason I don’t ask AI for help.