Top 10 Strategies to Improve Executive Functioning Skills

Father and daughter focusing on homework together.

“I feel like I can’t get anything done!”

If you have ever found yourself saying something like this, then there is a good chance you may benefit from some support with executive functioning skills, otherwise known as “Getting Stuff Done.”

Executive functions are the brain skills needed to complete the everyday tasks in our lives. These brain skills allow us to plan, organize, and manage our thoughts and actions.  It feels a little like simply being organized, but it is a lot more than that. Think about the skills you need to arrive at work on time, stay focused in a virtual meeting, complete a work project, remain calm with an annoying coworker, simply complete your day-to-day work tasks, plan dinner for the family, walk the dogs, help with homework, help everyone get to bed, and then get up and do it all over again the next day.  Executive Functioning skills are ingrained in every part of our adult day. 

Executive functioning skills are also an integral part of each day for kids/teens. Think about the skills needed to get ready for school, pack a sack lunch, complete homework, study for a test, prepare for a research paper, be kind to peers, and listen to teachers. Executive functions are linked and intertwined. For example, In order for a child to complete homework at home, they need to plan for what they should bring home, use time management to figure out when to start the homework, be able to initiate starting the task, be able to focus their attention on the homework, and use flexibility and perseverance when it is hard. Kids do not just learn these skills on their own. As parents, it is our role to help them learn executive functioning skills.  More on that in a bit. . .  For now let’s briefly discuss 10 important executive functioning skills, as outlined in the Pathway to Success Executive Functioning Curriculum:

1. Planning - The ability to figure out how to accomplish our goals. (What steps do I need to take to complete a task)

2. Organization - The ability to develop and maintain a system to keep orderly

3. Time Management - The ability to pace yourself, understand deadlines, and use time wisely. 

4. Task Initiation - The ability to start something even when you do not want to.

5. Working Memory - The mental process that allows us to hold information in our minds - it helps us follow directions and complete tasks.

6. Metacognition - Being aware of what you know and what you don’t know so that you can get help.

7. Self-Control - The ability to regulate your thoughts, actions, and emotions.

8. Sustained Attention - The ability to focus on a task or person for a period of time, avoiding distractions and shifting focus when needed.

9. Flexibility - The ability to adapt to new situations and deal with change. It also includes perspective taking and making decisions to fix a problem.

10. Perseverance - The ability to stick with a task and not give up, even when it is challenging, you feel bored, or uninterested. 

You can see how these 10 skills are all related and help us carry out our daily responsibilities. We all have a unique personality, which means we are better at some than with others. Think for a moment about the tasks you know you are really good at.  How do you know you are good at those skills?  Also think about the ones that could use some support - How do you know those skills could use some support or refining?

Sometimes the best way to begin teaching executive functioning skills is through the use of a chart. There are many, many great examples of chore charts, school charts, etc, if you simply do an online search. It is also helpful to break down the steps into manageable pieces, add a time to the steps,  and begin to visually see the steps, such as the example below:

If you don’t know where to start and you want to clean your kitchen:

- Choose one thing (Load the dishwasher)

- Determine how long that one thing will take you to complete (5 minutes)

- Set a timer for 5 minutes

- Start working on that one thing until the timer goes off. (If the dishwasher is unloaded before the timer goes off, consider re-loading the dishwasher or wiping down the counter)

- Allow yourself to feel the success of completing that one task.

-Repeat the process with one more thing in the kitchen. (For example: Clean the island)

If you find that executive functioning skills are lacking in your household and you would like support, please reach out today.  We have many more techniques and resources to share!

Valuable resources for Getting Things Done:

-Get Organized Without Losing It by Janet S. Fox

-The Organized Child by Richard Gallagher, PhD, Elana G. Spira, PhD, and Jennifer l Rosenblatt, PhD

-Smart but Scattered Teens by Richard Guare, PhD, Peg Dawson, EdD, and Colin Guare

-Organizational Skills Training for Children with ADHD by Richard Gallagher, PhD, Howard B. Abikoff, and Elana G. Spira, PhD. 

-The Child Mind Institute has many helpful resources such as this: https://childmind.org/topics/executive-functions/