5 Ways To Work Around Executive Dysfunction

Posted by fxckfeelings on March 29, 2018

If you find yourself unmotivated, disorganized, and left feeling hopeless and frustrated, you may, like our reader from earlier, think of yourself as “fucked.” Thankfully, there’s a clinical term for this inability to get shit done—”Executive Dysfunction”—and here are five ways to work around it so you can start to be more productive and fulfilled. You may not feel better about yourself or your abilities, but you will be less fucked overall.

1) Pick Important Priorities

Ignoring what other people want you to do or what would make them happy, pick five things that you consider important life goals according to your basic values. That means considering things involving your health, being a good friend, partner or parent, and finding fun, rewarding things to do. Include priorities that fulfill legitimate promises or allow you to feel that you’re doing good in the world, but remember, your first priority is to your own health and survival, not feeling good or impressing others.

2) Plot A Priority Course

Now that you’ve figured out five worthy goals, look for actions you can actually do to put those goals in reach. Don’t count activities simply because they make you feel better; often, activities that feel bad or boring at first are the most rewarding in the long run, like exercise, working hard, and making time with friends and family when you can listen, talk, and do anything but complain. Given your dysfunction, it may be hard to get motivated to take these actions, but remind yourself of your goals and your basic, underlying aim– to be a good person. Even if your brain doesn’t work quite right, you can still do your best to do the right thing.

3) Stick to a Schedule

Getting help from a trusted friend, partner, or therapist if necessary, build your activities into a daily and weekly schedule. Arrange your schedule so you have a good reason to get up and get going at the same time every day. Structuring the same things at the same time of day and/or the same day of the week creates habits and patterns, and the more you structure your day, the less your brain will have to build up energy and motivation in order to get things done. Basically, getting locked into a structure allows you to bypass the unmotivated, disorganized part of your brain and go straight into autopilot.

4) Determine Your To-Do List

It may be hard for your brain to tackle the unpleasant or complicated tasks that you have to complete right now, especially if they’re so overwhelming that you can’t even keep track of them. If you don’t do them, however, you know you’ll be in trouble, so push yourself to face your obligations and write them all down in one place. They include small things, like checking your mail/email and responding, and getting groceries. Make sure you have one big, complete list and that it’s located somewhere, either in your computer or on your wall, where you can’t help but read it several times a day. If it’s in a computer, set reminders for yourself to complete certain tasks or just to check the list on a daily basis. Yes, it’s a pain, but the repercussions that come from not fulfilling important responsibilities can hurt much, much worse.

5) Arrange for Assistance

Don’t let self-blame or fear of humiliation stop you from sharing your problem with those whom you think could help you. Without calling yourself lazy, crazy, or generally putting yourself down, seek out people close to you whom you trust. Explain to them that you just can’t do things that you really need to do and the problem has been paralyzing you. Share your thinking about priorities and schedules. Then welcome their suggestions, advice, and involvement, which could include becoming your workout buddy, giving you daily wake up calls, or just making regular plans to hang out. Either way, it’s important to be open with the people close to you about your problem; if you make it clear to them that you never call back or reach out because of executive dysfunction, not an unspoken issue, they’ll be more understanding, willing to reach out, and eager to help you, despite your messed up brain, to do and be your best.