Executive Function Strategies That Actually Work
Everyone’s experienced a forgotten deadline and a to-do list that only seems to get longer. If this sounds familiar, or even frequent, the problem actually might not be motivation.
Executive function is a specific set of mental skills for planning and organizing. Instead of relying on willpower alone, executive functioning strategies can work by building external systems that support planning, memory, and focus.
Executive functioning skills don’t come naturally to everyone, and this can cause issues in various aspects of everyday life. However, there are ways to improve executive functioning that can improve everything from stress to time management.
This article will explore:
- What executive functioning does.
- How executive functioning skills can help.
- Organization and planning strategies to reduce stress.
- Working memory strategies to help lighten your mental load.
- Time management techniques and tips.
- How to turn these strategies into lasting routines.
Executive Functioning and Daily Life
Executive functioning in the brain helps you manage tasks and work toward your goals. You can think of it as the brain’s management system, coordinating nearly everything you do.[1]
These skills can include things like:
- Planning.
- Working memory.
- Starting and following through on tasks.
- Self-monitoring.
Together, they allow you to break down whatever you’re working on, keep the instructions in your mind, and adjust as you go if circumstances change.
Executive functioning develops during the early years and adolescence. It can also fluctuate in adulthood depending on variables like:
- Stress levels.
- Sleep.
- Overall mental health.
Mental health conditions like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression can all impact how these cognitive skills work day-to-day.
How Executive Functioning Skills Can Help
Having strong executive functioning skills touches just about every aspect of daily life, sometimes in ways that get taken for granted until there’s a problem.
- Planning and organizing allow you to break bigger goals into smaller, actionable steps instead of feeling daunted at the starting line.
- Working memory helps you hold the steps, deadlines, and priorities in mind, without constantly losing track.[2]
- Task initiation can ease the tension between deciding to do something and actually doing it, which can cut down on procrastination.
- Cognitive flexibility helps you adjust on the fly when plans or goals change, so disruptions don’t derail you.[2]
- Self-monitoring means noticing when something isn’t working, like realizing a to-do list app you never open is no help. That lets you change course before smaller issues become bigger ones.
Together, these skills can reduce your daily stressors and make it easier to reach your goals. Strengthening your executive functioning skills can also support your overall emotional well-being. Missing deadlines or feeling chronically disorganized can take a toll on your confidence and raise your stress levels.
Organizational and Planning Strategies
Feeling disorganized can be a challenging cycle. Missed details can lead to stress, which in turn makes it harder to get organized.
Organization strategies and planning strategies can help you break the cycle before it builds more momentum and turns into a pattern.
Break Things Up Into Smaller Steps
Big projects can be hard to get going because it feels unclear where to start. Breaking tasks up into smaller actions can make it easier to get going and track your progress along the way, which can be both helpful and satisfying. For example, “clean the house” might just be “clear off the kitchen counter” as a smaller first step.
Find a Trusted System (and Stick With It)
Having a bunch of notes and reminders across multiple apps or notebooks can create more confusion than clarity. Choosing one planner or app for your tasks and to-do lists can help keep everything organized, as long as you commit to checking it often enough.
Prioritize Things
Different tasks likely require different levels of urgency. Sorting things into different categories — such as things that must get done or things that can wait — will help you reserve and focus your energy for where it matters the most.
Build in Extra Time as Needed
An overpacked schedule isn’t likely to accommodate the unexpected. Adding in extra time as necessary can reduce any stress you feel from normal delays.
Try a Weekly Reset
Set aside some time each week to review your upcoming deadlines, update your task list, and clear out the things that aren’t relevant anymore. This can help you prevent the small details from slipping through the cracks.
Mission Connection is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Working Memory Strategies
Working memory has its limits, and trying to hold onto too much at once can lead to mental fatigue. Try some of the following working memory strategies to lighten the load as you go about your week.
Externalize Things
Don’t try to just remember everything. Write down your tasks, appointments, and ideas as soon as they come up. This can remove the pressure of constant mental tracking.
Utilize Visual Reminders
Sticky notes, whiteboards, or a pen and paper can all prompt you for tasks that might have slipped your mind. Visual cues can be handy, especially for things that might be easy to overlook.
Set Up Alarms
And why stop there? Instead of relying on internal recall all the time, use your phone’s alarm or calendar notifications to remind you about important events and deadlines, like a recurring reminder to take a medication or leave for an appointment on time.
Break Up Instructions Into Smaller Bites
Breaking up multi-step instructions can also be useful when following along with a task. Try writing out or repeating each step aloud, particularly for new and unfamiliar jobs.
Reduce Background Noise and Clutter
A cluttered desk or a noisy room can be a distraction even if you don’t consciously notice it. Closing extra browser tabs, tidying your workspace, or putting on headphones can all help you focus.
Send that email reply now instead of waiting. Clear minor items on your to-do list and free up important mental bandwidth for more challenging tasks at hand.
Time Management Techniques
Most of us underestimate how long something will take from time to time, so these time management techniques can help you grow a more accurate relationship with how you use your time.
Block Out Your Schedule
Assign blocks of time to specific jobs or tasks instead of working from an open-ended list. Having this structure can make it easier to see what’s realistic to complete in your day and prevent tasks from expanding out further than they need to.
Pay Attention to Your Energy
When do you tend to focus the best? Try scheduling your most demanding tasks accordingly, saving the lower-focus periods for more routine work.
Use a Timer
Set a timer for a defined period of work, followed by a short break. Something like 25 minutes of focused work and a 5-minute break can be a good starting point. This can help you stay on task and make things feel more contained as you go.
Track How Long Things Take
For a week or so, take note of how long common tasks take to complete as well. This can help correct previous time estimates that can contribute to an overpacked schedule.
Don’t Forget About Transition Time
Add in short buffers between your commitments. This gives your focus a break and helps you avoid feeling constantly rushed from one thing to another.
Making Strategies New Habits
The above strategies can only go so far without ongoing consistency. Turning them into routines can help executive function support last and get you the most benefits. Here are some ways to turn strategies into habits.
- Start with one strategy at a time: Overhauling how you do everything at once can be a recipe for burnout. Pick one strategy, practice it consistently, and add more when things feel comfortable.
- Anchor your new habits to your existing ones: Attach a strategy to something you do every day, like reviewing your to-do list in the morning.
- Don’t beat yourself up over some inconsistency: Routines take time to form and time to stick, so missing a day here and there doesn’t mean that you failed.
- Adjust the things that don’t seem to be working: If a tip feels like it’s a struggle all the time, it probably needs some adjusting. Be thoughtful about how you implement things, flexible in how you go about it, and also be kind to yourself as you do.
- Keep your new systems accessible: Make sure to put your planners, checklists, and reminders somewhere you’ll actually see and engage with them.
- Celebrate the small wins: Notice the moments when something you did helped you stay on task or complete a project, which can help reinforce the habit over time.
Ultimately, consistency matters more than perfection. Executive functioning exercises and strategies can help you build real change gradually with repetition, rather than hoping for a dramatic shift to do it all.[3]
Get Executive Function Support With Mission Connection
Self-guided executive function strategies can be helpful, but sometimes these struggles run deeper, especially if something like ADHD or anxiety is involved. If feeling disorganized or having trouble getting started is always getting in the way, professional support can help.
At Mission Connection, our team of licensed mental health professionals goes beyond traditional treatment and provides life-changing care. We offer several options for effective outpatient treatment, including in-person programs at our locations in California, Virginia, and Washington, virtual telehealth, and a hybrid program that combines in-person and virtual care.
Mission Connection is Joint Commission-accredited. We also accept most major insurance providers, so that your recovery is not hindered due to financial issues.
Reach out to us online or call us at 866-833-1822 to find out how we can support your long-term recovery.
Executive Function Challenges FAQ
How long do these strategies take to start working?
Some strategies can help you right away, such as writing something down instead of trying to remember it. But building lasting routines can take weeks of practice before they start to feel more automatic and natural.
Can executive function improve by using these strategies?
Executive function absolutely can improve. The brain maintains an ability to learn new things throughout life. Therapy can help you build new ways to stay on top of things and track what needs to be done.