Neurodivergence Does Not Equal Laziness! How to Overcome Executive Dysfunction

n the modern day, as mental health emerges further into the common social consciousness, there are likely many people who have lived the following story:

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You grow up having a hard time, but without an outright clear reason why. Your parents or guardians either don’t get you tested for mental health conditions or don’t care enough to. And for all the issues that go unnoticed, you’re still smart enough to handle school, and so the adults in your life struggle with the contradiction that you are smart and yet you can’t seem to keep up with assignments or keep your room clean. And so they come to the conclusion that you must be lazy, and it’s your fault that you’re failing to meet expectations. So you grow up with this viewpoint, because at this point you are young and don’t know any better either. And slowly, insidiously, it simply becomes a part of you that you are fully capable and intelligent, but there’s something fundamentally wrong with you that no matter what anyone says you can’t seem to fix. And then that’s it!

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Hopefully at some point, you have or should come to the realization that there isn’t something fundamentally wrong with you, and you have some form of Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or Autism most commonly. It also can happen with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Schizophrenia, depression, or a litany of other conditions that can cause a high level of executive dysfunction. It’s relatively common in people who have these disorders and can also appear without them, as they are often a symptom of those with brain injuries and diseases that affect the mind in any way. 

If you haven’t had the experience above, then that’s fine too, it’s not an exclusive club. That particularly is a common sign of something called gifted kid syndrome, a lifelong detriment that can often affect people very deeply, mental illness or no. Anyone can benefit from knowing about their executive dysfunction, but the first step is knowing. Before anything else, remember: You Are Not Lazy. There are already some studies showing that laziness is more often a tool to make people feel unproductive and unworthy. Your worth as a person is not determined by your productivity, something that many people feel.

Something that the modern Western capitalist system does psychologically to people is convince them that their only value as a person is the capital they produce, and anyone who is not producing enough capital is inherently a worse person because of it. To not dive deep into the intricacies of the psychology of capitalism, we can simply say that this assertion that the system provides is ultimately untrue. Capitalism is only nearly as old as the industrial revolution, so these ideas that pervade our society are relatively new. Take to heart that the work you do does not define who you are, you yourself define that. But ultimately most of us still need to work, and if you have executive dysfunction then that might be pretty hard!

To understand executive dysfunction, first, here are the forms of executive function:

Working Memory

Working memory is a form of memory that does not have to do with recalling information from the past, but regards things more in the moment. It’s like a temporary sticky note in the brain, letting us hold information during an activity without losing track of what we’re doing. Remembering numbers when you’re taking notes and other similar activities train your working memory

Cognitive Flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is your brain’s ability to switch from one topic to another and handle surprises. A good cognitive flexibility looks like a person who can adapt to situations quickly and excel with creativity and problem solving. This is the least likely part of the brain to really contribute to ‘executive dysfunction,’ but it can still cause problems on a general level.

Inhibition Control

Simply, inhibition control is your own internal ability to control your emotions and impulses. This is probably the biggest part of executive dysfunction as it governs your self control. It comes in two main forms—behavioral control, which is your ability to keep yourself from doing things you should not do. You wouldn’t scream out loud in a library. But the thought can occur to you, and you don’t because you know it’s wrong. And interference control is your ability to self-govern your train of thought. Good interference control allows you to be able to manage your own attention and focus, even when distractions might come up.

These are the signs of good executive function, unsurprisingly uncommon in those with executive dysfunction. To overview the common forms that executive dysfunction comes in:

• Being highly distractible or having trouble focusing on one thing.
• Focusing too much on one thing.
• Spacing out during important moments.
• Difficulty motivating yourself to begin that seems difficult or uninteresting (this is the big one!)

These all are clear opposites to the examples of good executive dysfunction. If you struggle with it, be aware of these symptoms and any others.

How to Overcome Executive Dysfunction

As someone who does struggle with these symptoms, it is often a lost cause asking for help with these issues. Nine times out of ten any advice you get that’s not “just try harder,” ends up sounding something like “break it down into manageable pieces,” or “have you tried making a planner?” None of that advice really seems helpful because it is so antithetical to how your brain seems to want to work.

But you know what the worst part is? That is good advice. While it often comes from an unreliable source, keeping things straight with writing things down is genuinely super helpful. The hardest part about starting a task is that it seems hard to do or you don’t care enough to do it, but if you write down exactly the action points of your task helps your mind formulate it and essentially get started with the task without having to do the work of getting started. Once you already have it figured out, doing the task is often the easiest part.

This advice, however, won’t work for everyone. We’re all different, so here’s some more thorough advice about dealing with your executive dysfunction. 

A really good thing you can do is have a separate place where you work and where you relax. This won’t occur to many people, but for those who work at home or stay productive while not at work it can become a difficulty. If your work place and relaxing place are the same, then it hurts your ability to truly relax when you want to and getting work done when you need to. A lot of it comes down to introducing structure to your life. With a disorganized brain, an organized external life can help keep you on track. Remember to practice self care: keep yourself clean and fed and remember to drink water before anything else.

And, try making a to-do list! Don’t be afraid to get specific. The more steps you can write down, the easier it will be for your brain to visualize all of the things you’ll need to do. 

While you’re working, don’t be afraid to work for a small amount of time and take breaks. Don’t forget to do the work of course, but let your brain relax if it needs to. Just make sure to move to a different physical space to relax in, for the same reasons as mentioned above.

Remember that momentum is basically everything. The hardest part of any task is starting it, so once you get things going it will all be done just fine. Keep that momentum going, if you have more things to do then don’t lose that momentum.

If you have executive dysfunction, then these tips might seem difficult or not worth it. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to solve executive dysfunction. It will take some legwork, but it can help you get your life in order. 

Ultimately, self control is difficult even without executive dysfunction. It’s hard, but you can overcome executive dysfunction and improve your focus all on your own if you put your mind to it. Just remember; you are not lazy. Laziness isn’t even real! The only thing that’s real is your words and actions, and those you can control.