Executive functioning is the set of mental skills that help us manage our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions to get things done. These are the skills we rely on to plan ahead, stay organized, regulate our impulses, shift between tasks, and remember important information. In short, it’s the brain’s self-management system.

You use executive functioning all the time, often without realizing it. When you pause before reacting, remember to grab your keys, or plan what you’ll cook for dinner – executive function is doing its job.

But what happens when that system doesn’t run smoothly?

The core components of executive functioning

Researchers typically group executive functioning into three core areas. These foundational skills work together behind the scenes, shaping how we think, act, and respond.

Working memory

The ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind over short periods of time.

Examples:

• Remembering a phone number long enough to dial it
• Keeping track of multiple steps in a recipe without checking every few seconds
• Holding onto what someone just said while you figure out your response
• Mentally calculating how much time you have before your next meeting
• Recalling what you were about to do before a notification pulled your attention away

Note: When working memory is impacted, even small tasks, like following directions or finishing a sentence, can take extra effort or fall apart completely.

Cognitive flexibility

The ability to switch perspectives or approaches when the situation changes.

Examples:

• Changing your route when there’s unexpected traffic
• Switching from one task to another when plans change
• Adjusting when your go-to coping strategy isn’t available (like your noise-canceling headphones dying mid-commute)
• Calming down after unexpected criticism or shifting emotional gears
• Seeing a problem from someone else’s perspective or brainstorming multiple solutions

Note: For neurodivergent people, cognitive flexibility might show up as black-and-white thinking, intense discomfort with change, or getting stuck on one way of doing things.

Inhibitory control

The ability to resist distractions, regulate emotions, and stop yourself from doing something impulsive.

Examples:

• Not interrupting in a meeting even when you’re excited to contribute
• Resisting the urge to doomscroll when you’re supposed to be writing an email
• Holding back an angry reply to a frustrating message
• Waiting your turn in a conversation
• Choosing not to click on the 23 open browser tabs calling your name

Note: Inhibitory control is closely linked to emotional regulation and sensory processing. When you’re overstimulated, it becomes harder to filter distractions or manage reactions.

More complex skills, like time management, prioritization, emotional regulation, and task initiation, depend on these core executive functions.

How executive functioning develops

Executive functioning is primarily governed by the prefrontal cortex – one of the last parts of the brain to fully mature. These skills begin developing in early childhood and continue into the mid-20s, shaped by a mix of genetics, environment, and lived experience.

Development isn’t one-size-fits-all. For some, executive functioning builds steadily. For others, especially those with ADHD, Autism, learning differences, or chronic stress, development follows a different timeline.

In fact, research shows that ADHD’ers experience about a 30% developmental delay in executive functioning compared to their non-ADHD peers (Barkley, 2008). That’s not about trying harder. It’s about how the brain is wired to process, plan, and respond.

What happens when executive functioning is challenging?

Executive functioning challenges can show up in all kinds of ways. If executive skills aren’t working reliably, someone might:

• Struggle to start or complete tasks
• Get overwhelmed by decision-making
• Forget appointments or lose track of steps
• Feel stuck when plans change
• React emotionally to small stressors
• Constantly switch between tasks without finishing any

This pattern is sometimes called executive dysfunction. It’s not a diagnosis on its own, but a helpful way to describe what’s going on when someone is capable, but can’t get themselves to do the thing.

What affects executive functioning?

Executive functioning isn’t static. It fluctuates based on biology, environment, and mental state. Things that can temporarily or chronically impact executive functionininclude:

• ADHD, Autism, or other neurodevelopmental conditions
• Depression, anxiety, trauma, or PTSD
• Sleep deprivation
• Burnout or chronic stress
• Hormonal changes
• Brain injury or a neurological condition

These factors can make it harder to access executive skills even when someone knows what to do.

Why support makes such a difference

Executive functioning is highly responsive to context. Structure, scaffolding, and tools don’t just make life more organized, they can make it possible. The same brain that struggles in one environment can thrive in another when support is matched to how it works.

And contrary to what many people are taught, executive function challenges aren’t fixed with “trying harder.” They’re supported by designing systems that reduce friction, externalize memory, and make tasks easier to start, sustain, and complete.

Here are some examples of what that can look like in practice:

Visual reminders: Sticky notes, whiteboards, post-its on doors, or digital tools like Tiimo that use icons and colors to cue tasks and transitions.

Task breakdowns: Turning “clean your room” into a checklist: pick up clothes, take out trash, wipe surfaces, change bedding.

Flexible routines: Morning or evening anchors that are visual and adaptable (e.g. a routine flowchart instead of a strict time-based schedule).

Timers and cues: Use Pomodoro-style timers, 10-minute “activation” timers, or verbal countdowns (“I’ll start in 3…2…1…”).

Body doubling: Working alongside someone else, virtually or in person, can jumpstart task initiation and reduce overwhelm.

Environmental supports: Think noise-canceling headphones, soft lighting, clutter zones vs. clear zones, or even using different rooms for different types of tasks.

External accountability: A shared to-do list with a partner, coworking sessions, or texting a friend after completing something.

Tip: The best executive functioning supports often remove the need to rely on memory, willpower, or emotion regulation in the first place.

In schools, homes, and workplaces, the right supports don’t lower expectations, they level the playing field. They allow people to meet those expectations without constant exhaustion or burnout. And when these supports are offered proactively (not just after someone “fails”), they benefit everyone, not just neurodivergent folks.

Matching supports to your executive functioning challenges

Executive functioning isn’t one-size-fits-all and neither are the tools that support it. What helps one person might totally backfire for another. The key is figuring out where things are breaking down and testing small, low-pressure strategies that work with your brain, not against it.

Here’s a quick guide to choosing the right kind of support based on what you’re struggling with:

If you struggle with getting started

• Try the 5-minute rule: Commit to just five minutes of the task. Often, starting is the hardest part.
• Use a visual countdown (like a Pomodoro timer or Tiimo’s visual timer).
• Body doubling: Work alongside someone (in person or virtually) so your brain has social momentum.
• Start with the “easiest win” on your to-do list to generate quick dopamine.

If you forget what you’re doing (or meant to do)

• Keep a “next step” list rather than a to-do list. It’s easier to act on “email Alex the file” than “catch up on work.”
• Use external memory tools: visual planners, sticky notes, alarms with labels (“take meds now” instead of just a ding).
• Make your tools visible: whiteboards, color-coded calendars, or apps you can pin to your phone’s home screen.

If you lose track of time

• Use time estimators: Before you start a task, guess how long it’ll take. Then compare afterward to train time awareness.
• Set reminder alarms before transitions, not just at the time of an event (e.g. “Meeting in 15 minutes”).
• Build in buffer time between tasks, even just 5-10 minutes to transition or reset your brain.

If you freeze under pressure

• Break the task into microsteps so you always know the next small move.
• Use scripts or templates (for emails, messages, or recurring tasks) to reduce decision fatigue.
• Give yourself permission to pause. Sometimes the best thing for productivity is a short walk, stretch, or change of setting.

If you hyperfocus and lose track of needs

• Set recurring body check-in (or interoception) reminders: “Have I eaten? Stretched? Drank water?”
• Use a wind-down routine or “off-ramp” at the end of tasks to transition out gently.
• Keep visible cues in your space (like a post-it that says “Pause + check in with yourself.”)

The bottom line

Executive functioning isn’t just about being productive, it’s about being able to move through your day with some sense of ease, direction, and agency. When those systems break down, it can feel like everything is harder than it should be, and often, it is.

The truth is, no one’s executive functioning works perfectly all the time. But for many neurodivergent people, the struggle is chronic, invisible, and misunderstood. It’s not a question of effort. It’s about support, access, and designing your life in a way that works for your brain.

The good news? These skills can be supported through structure, compassion, external tools, and systems that reduce friction. You don’t have to earn rest by doing everything “the hard way.”

Whether you’re navigating executive function differences yourself or supporting someone who is, understanding how this system works is a powerful first step.

Executive functioning is often called the brain’s management system and like any system, it runs best with the right tools, clear structures, and realistic expectations. When those are in place, everyday life doesn’t just get easier. It gets more doable.