Executive Functioning: Or, Why I Just Forgot What We Were Talking About.

Let’s get into this term “executive functioning”.  It’s been around for quite a while and started gaining traction in the mid-20th century thanks to researchers like Alexander Luria (from the mother-land; Russia). Over time, psychologists and neuroscientists began to understand that a sort of 'control center'—mostly in the prefrontal cortex—was managing all these high-level mental tasks which they labeled “executive functioning”.

This isn’t just a trendy buzzword; it’s rooted in decades of research. It’s being noticed more NOW because so many people are connecting to what executive DYSFUNCTION looks like; poor time management, disorganization, procrastination, difficulty prioritizing, impulsivity, forgetfulness – those kinds of things and if you didn’t think, “this sounds like me” you definitely had the though, “this sounds like…someone I know.”

Imagine your brain is like a busy office. All the different tasks—like remembering things, focusing, planning—those are like different departments. Executive functioning is the manager that keeps all those departments running smoothly. When that manager is on point, everything’s organized. But if the manager is having a tough day—or dealing with ADHD, a TBI, or something else—things can get a bit chaotic.

How’s this sounding so far? We good? I hope so because we’re going to go a little deeper and you’re probably going to hear some things you haven’t heard before about executive functioning. So, buckle up – buttercup.

To start with – this isn’t a one size fits all kind of thing. In fact, the research along with what I’ve observed in thousands of therapy sessions says that executive functioning challenges look different depending on possible root issues. Each of these underliers can carry a different emotional weight which is why there isn’t a quick fix to this. Turns out humans are…complicated.
Executive functioning issues correlated with ADHD look like lifelong patterns of difficulty with sustained attention, impulse control, and time management. By the time they’re in my office they’ve got a lot of chronic frustration or shame to work through. No biggie.

With traumatic brain injuries (TBI) – look for a more sudden onset. It’s like their office manager was replaced by a much less organized doppelganger and they’re unable to do what they once could do. Along with rebuilding life skills, therapy will focus on processing through a lot of (TBI) – look for a more sudden onset. It’s like their office manager was replaced by a much less organized doppelganger.

And we can’t forget about the Autism Spectrum! For this population, their office manager checks out when anything out of their routine is disrupted. Therapy with this population includes work towards being flexible and adapting to routine changes.
Hey – This is a short video so I’m keeping this pretty basic. If you’re annoyed that I didn’t say more about ASD, please refer to my last video on “identity fusion”. Ok, that said, let’s get to an unexpected root cause for perceived executive dysfunction…actually, the next 2 might be surprising.

Sometimes it even shows up as a trauma response. To recognize this type, look for ‘when’ someone’s executive functioning goes down. If they’re functioning fine when life is calm and then go offline when things get wild, you’re probably looking at a trauma response appearing as executive DYSfunction. Therapy helps when clients are humble enough to entertain this concept but once it’s allowed, oooh, working through it doesn’t take long…until then, it shows up as a lot of guilt or self-doubt.

And lastly – this might be the sneakiest of all but just be curious for a sec. What if - sometimes – humans mimic executive dysfunction to solicit help in a secondary gain kind of way – In other words, sometimes people (consciously or unconsciously) lean on being executive functionally challenged - in hopes that others will step in.

Hey! Don’t forget the “Law of Effect”. Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated.
What else…Oh….age is also factor. Remember, our prefrontal cortex, where a lot of this managing happens, doesn’t fully develop until your mid-20s—and in males, it might take a little longer than females. So if you’re in your late teens or early twenties and struggling with planning or time management, it might just be that your brain is still building out those circuits.

And one last thought that’s been on my mind that needs to be addressed. Our world is set up to give higher value to ‘office managers’ who have all the abilities. Humans are rewarded MORE when they fit into a certain mold and I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing. We ALL can’t be perfect at everything! It’d be wildly efficient, yes – it’d also be wildly boring. Imagine going into a national park that was packed with only one type of tree…the same height, spaced evenly. YIKES! Sounds like a horror movie to me.

Whether your brain’s office manager is quirky, tired, or just growing into the role, remember—it’s not about being broken. It’s about understanding how you’re wired and finding a way to progress, what works for you.

And that’s the blog for today! I hope you liked it and I hope you picked up something good. If you want to check out the Jed Said Video on this, click here (I'll add this once it's edited and uploaded to YouTube :))

Comments are always welcome and until next time, awareness up.
Jed Thorpe, CMHC, NCC

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