Executive dysfunction is common in women with ADHD. It affects your ability to organize, plan, manage your time, concentrate, and control your emotions. This can lead to struggles at work and in relationships, and can lead to issues like anxiety, depression, and disrupted sleep. When someone has ADHD, they’re likely to possess many or all of the symptoms of executive dysfunction, although it’s possible to have issues with executive functioning and not have ADHD. We’re telling you all you need to know about executive dysfunction and ADHD in women, including signs to look for and tips and tools to help.
What Is Executive Dysfunction?
Executive function is a set of mental skills that helps you plan, organize, manage time, and control your emotions. These skills are at work when we strategize for and manage projects, keep track of our belongings, regulate our emotions appropriately, and establish a work-life balance. They allow you to manage everyday tasks with ease and help with skills like initiation, flexibility, working memory, and self monitoring. Executive dysfunction occurs when these cognitive processes are impaired, making it difficult to manage daily activities and responsibilities. Individuals with executive dysfunction may find it difficult to focus, organize themselves, schedule their time, and control their emotions and behaviour. Executive dysfunction is one of the key symptoms of ADHD.
10 Signs of Executive Dysfunction in Women
- Difficulty focusing
- Having a hard time concentrating
- Difficulty planning and organizing- failing to meet deadlines, struggling to prioritize tasks
- Trouble with regulating emotions- frequent mood swings, overreacting to minor inconveniences
- Difficulty adapting to changes
- Time blindness- inability to plan for and keep in mind future events
- Trouble with analyzing or processing information
- Hard time recalling and following multi-step directions
- Difficulty balancing tasks (for example, work and hobbies)
- Frequently losing things
7 Tips, Tools & Resources to Help
1. Use a Paper Planner
A paper planner can help you keep track of tasks, obligations, and important dates. Many people with ADHD prefer paper planners over digital ones as they provide a more tactile planning experience. The physical act of writing can be more engaging and help you with visualizing tasks and commitments. This can improve memory retention and cognitive processing, making it easier to stay organized. A paper planner also allows for customization- you can use different colours, stickers, and layouts to fit your individuals preferences. This planner includes a daily schedule from 6 am to 9 pm, as well as weekly planner pages. Sections for to-do lists and top priorities will also help you stay focused.
2. Implement Helpful Systems
Executive dysfunction can make everyday tasks feel overwhelming, so it can be helpful to implement systems that will make day to day life easier on you (as long as your budget allows for it). This may mean hiring a house cleaner, getting groceries delivered, or setting up a meal box subscription so you don’t have to plan out meals every night. These systems significantly reduce your cognitive load. For example, with a meal box service, it eliminates the need to meal plan, constantly decide what to cook for dinner, and grocery shop, which are challenging when you deal with executive dysfunction.
3. Stress Management Techniques
Relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can help improve numerous executive function skills and help reduce anxiety that comes along with executive dysfunction. Unfortunately, stress can increase executive dysfunction, and executive dysfunction can make stress more difficult to manage. Mindfulness and stress management techniques can help with executive function skills like working memory, self control, and focus and concentration.
4. Use Visual Reminders
Visual reminders like sticky notes and checklists can help you visualize and prioritize tasks. You can also consider colour-coding your tasks, commitments, and appointments. For example, you could use red for urgent tasks, yellow for medium priority and green for low priority. This will help your brain associate tasks with their urgency level. You can also assign different colours for different parts of life. For instance, you can use blue for work tasks, purple for social engagements, and yellow for family activities. Use colour-coding however it makes the most sense for you.
5. Create Structured Routines
Setting up structured daily routines reduces the cognitive load of decision making. Having a morning and evening routine can be extremely beneficial for those with executive dysfunction. Routines provide a predictable pattern that can help you manage daily tasks, reduce stress, and garner a sense of control. They also help with time management, because when tasks are scheduled within a routine it’s easier to manage time effectively. For example, a morning routine could include meditation, making your bed, having coffee, going for a walk, and reviewing your to-do list for the day.
6. Engage in Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is a powerful tool in improving brain health. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which enhances cognitive functions and executive functioning skills. Both aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, running, swimming) and resistance training have been found to enhance executive function. Exercise can impact your ability to focus, switch between tasks, and control impulses. Aim to exercise 4 to 5 times a week for 30 to 40 minutes a day.
7. Look Into Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a commonly used and highly effective treatment approach for managing executive dysfunction and ADHD. It aims to helps individuals overcome difficulties they have with organization, planning, and time management, as well as how to manage their emotions. CBT helps people challenge negative thoughts that contribute to difficulties with executive function, such as “I can’t do this” and replacing them with more realistic thought patterns. It also helps with behavioural skills and time management techniques, as well as deals with co-occurring issues like anxiety and depression.
If you have ADHD, we hope these tips and tools help you manage and improve your executive functioning skills.
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