Executive Functioning Skills

Executive function is a set of mental skills that help you get things done. These skills are controlled by an area of the brain called the frontal lobe.

Executive function helps you:

• Manage time

• Pay attention

• Switch focus

• Plan and organize

• Remember details

• Avoid saying or doing the wrong thing

• Do things based on your experience

• Multitask

When executive function isn’t working as it should, your behavior is less controlled. This can affect your ability to:

• Work or go to school

• Do things independently

• Maintain relationships

Types of Executive Function

Executive function can be divided into two groups:

• Organization: Gathering information and structuring it for evaluation

• Regulation: Taking stock of your surroundings and changing behavior in response to it

For example, seeing a piece of chocolate cake on a dessert cart at a restaurant may be tempting. That's where executive function can step in. The organizational part reminds you that the slice is likely to have hundreds of calories. Regulation tells you that eating the cake conflicts with goals you may have, like eating less sugar or losing weight.