Health
How to Tackle Your To-Do List if You Struggle With Executive Functioning
The pomodoro technique. Power poses. Planners. Denise Daskal has tried them all, searching for the right strategy to improve her executive functioning, or the mental skills used to manage time and pursue goals.
Ms. Daskal has spent hours hunting through TikTok, reading books and taking classes to become better organized and more focused both at work and in her personal life. But the long list of strategies, while somewhat helpful, has felt exhausting, she said.
“My mind breaks a bit when I get overwhelmed and I have too much coming at me all at once,” said Ms. Daskal, 63, who lives in Dearborn, Mich., and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a few years ago.
Conditions like A.D.H.D., autism, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression can impede executive functioning; so can the period of life when women transition in and out of menopause. Life circumstances such as parenting young children, getting a bad night’s sleep or even missing a meal can scramble a person’s ability to focus and complete tasks, too.
Here’s how to understand executive functioning, and figure out which coping strategies might work for you.
What is executive functioning?
Executive functions are life management skills that help people “convert intentions into actions,” said Ari Tuckman, a psychologist in West Chester, Pa., and author of the “The ADHD Productivity Manual.”
In other words, if you plan to do something, executive functions help you do it at the right time and place because it will benefit you, either now or in the future, he added. These skills are essential for planning, solving problems, managing time, making decisions and initiating tasks, as well as controlling your emotions and attention.
Amy Dorn, 44, a mother of three in Evergreen, Colo., who has A.D.H.D., has trouble staying calm when her brain becomes overstimulated by too many things happening at once. It doesn’t take long before she becomes frazzled. Sometimes, she said, she’ll even “scream at the top of my lungs.”
There are no quick fixes, but the self-awareness that her brain is different helps her calm down faster, take a deep breath and say she’s sorry.
“The kids call me the apologizer,” she said.
Her tendency to go from 0 to 100 may never go away, she added, so her family has found ways to prevent overstimulation from happening in the first place. Her husband changed his working hours, arriving home earlier to ensure that she has an extra hand shuttling the kids to activities. And they have limited their children to one sport per season.
Moving beyond tips and tricks
There’s no shortage of techniques to help with executive functioning, like the pomodoro method that Ms. Daskal tried, the gist of which is a 25-minute burst of focused attention followed by a short break.
But before trying one of these strategies, experts say, it may help to start with a brief self-analysis.
Identify which aspects of executive functioning are most problematic for you.
Tamara Rosier, the founder of the ADHD Center of West Michigan and the author of “You, Me, and Our ADHD Family,” said that difficulty starting a task was the most common executive functioning issue for her clients. The to-do list can feel overwhelming, which may lead to frustration, anxiety and avoidance.
When Ms. Daskal planned to finally clean out her garage, for example, she was so paralyzed by the prospect that she went out and adopted a dog instead.
Potty training a puppy seemed simpler than confronting the thousands of little decisions required to organize her space, she explained.
Next, look for solutions that address your problem.
For task initiation, ask yourself, “What’s making this hard to start?”
It might be perfectionism, fear or unclear steps, Dr. Rosier said. Once you have a better idea of what’s slowing you down, try to address it. If you’re unsure of what steps to take because your are overwhelmed with emotion, make a list of what is overwhelming. Then ask yourself, “Am I overcomplicating this task?” Challenge yourself to think of the simplest way to do it, Dr. Rosier said.
Another strategy, she added, is to use “body doubling,” which is working alongside someone else — virtually or in person — to create momentum. For example, the Attention Deficit Disorder Association offers an online “productivity powerhour” where people can gather to work toward a goal. You can also pair your task with something pleasant like music or a podcast to make it feel more enjoyable.
Try solving the problem outside your mind.
“Externalizing” your thought process — by discussing your problem with a friend, writing it down or physically manipulating the things you’re working on — can be more helpful than trying to hold everything in your mind, Dr. Tuckman said.
Ms. Dorn, for example, often forgets things that seem boring or mundane. She now wears a recording device on her wrist and says her to-do list out loud, then plays it back later in the day.
Set expectations for yourself and others.
Personal strategies are less effective if your environment isn’t friendly to people with executive functioning deficits, such as a job that requires you to complete a complex task on the computer while continuing to receive instant messages that may or may not require a response, breaking focus on the main task.
Ms. Daskal decided to pivot from owning a salon and spa, which involved managing a facility and a staff, to focus on her dream of starting a new nail polish brand. This time around, she said, she’s mindful of how many responsibilities she’s taking on and which ones need to be outsourced. That helps her make time for sleep and exercise.
“I limit both what I attempt to do in a day as well as the time I attempt to do them,” she said. Her mantra: “One step at a time, one thing at a time.”
Setting expectations with the people you interact with is also important, Dr. Tuckman said. Say you’re always late to meet friends. You can work on arriving earlier while also being honest, saying, “Don’t leave until I text you,” Dr. Tuckman suggested.
Don’t judge yourself too harshly.
If you’ve had trouble with executive functioning, it can be easy to blame yourself — especially if other people are continually suggesting that you fall short.
Remind yourself that you aren’t flawed or irresponsible, Dr. Tuckman said. Rather, you have difficulty following through on what you intend to do and juggling all of the other demands of life in order to make it happen, he added.
This mind-set can be “tremendously validating,” he said, especially when someone has tried so hard — sometimes even harder than others — yet doesn’t have as much to show for it.
“If you are someone who struggles with executive functions, critical people with very specific expectations may not be the people who should have a starring role in your life,” Dr. Tuckman said. “It’s not just you are a bad fit for them — they are a bad fit for you.”
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Americans consume foods every day that are marketed as “healthy,” when they could be quietly destroying their health, one doctor warns.
Dr. Mark Hyman, physician and co-founder of Function Health in California, says that much of America’s daily diet is filled with unhealthy ingredients.
“The amount of refined starches and sugars that are everywhere is just staggering to me, given what we know about how harmful they are,” he shared in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I don’t think people really understand.”
Hyman, author of the new book “Food Fix Uncensored,” said he’s “astounded” by what people are eating, especially for breakfast.
“People just eat sugar for breakfast,” he said. “They have muffins, they have bagels, they have croissants, they have sugar-sweetened coffees and teas.”
Dr. Mark Hyman is the author of the new book “Food Fix Uncensored.” (Function Health; Little, Brown Spark)
In addition to the traditionally sweet options for breakfast, some cereal brands and breakfast staples have adopted new “protein-packed” menu items and products, following health trends that encourage eating more protein.
“Highly processed food is not food.”
“Now, we’re seeing this halo of protein in certain things,” Hyman said, mentioning that many protein smoothies are “full of sugar.”
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The doctor also noted that some popular cereals are now marketed as having protein in them. “My joke is, if it has a health claim on the label, it’s definitely bad for you,” he said.
Instead of starting the day with a “quick fix” or processed food, Hyman suggests choosing whole sources of protein and fat for breakfast, adding that “if there’s a little carbohydrate in there, it’s fine.”
More products marketed as “high protein” have cropped up on supermarket shelves. (iStock)
For his own breakfast, Hyman said he has a protein shake with whey protein, avocado and frozen berries. Eggs and avocados are also a great protein-and-fat combo option, he added.
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“It’s not that complicated — people need to just think about their breakfast not being dessert,” he said. “No wonder we’re in this cycle of obesity and diabetes. One in three teenage kids now has type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. That’s just criminal.”
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Instead of counting calories and being in a caloric deficit as a way to lose weight and stay healthy, Hyman instead suggests focusing on how certain foods make you feel and how they impact your health.
“When you look at the way in which different types of calories affect your biology, you can just choose what you’re eating, and then you don’t have to worry about how much,” he told Fox News Digital.
In addition to the traditionally sweet options for breakfast, some cereal brands and breakfast staples have adopted new “protein-packed” menu items and products. (iStock)
“For example, if you eat a diet that doesn’t cause your insulin to spike — which is low in starch and sugar, higher in protein and fat — you won’t develop those swings in blood sugar, you won’t develop the spikes in insulin, you won’t deposit hungry fat … You will break that cycle.”
People are more likely to “self-regulate when they eat real food” instead of processed foods, which “bypasses the normal mechanisms of satiety, fullness and brain chemistry,” according to Hyman.
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“Ultraprocessed food and junk food or highly processed food is not food,” he said. “It doesn’t support the health and well-being of an organism. It doesn’t do that. It does the opposite.”
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Small fragments of plastic were found in the tumors of most prostate cancer patients, according to a new study from NYU Langone Health.
In past studies, microplastics have been found in almost every human organ and in bodily fluids, but their impact on human health still isn’t fully understood.
The researchers analyzed tissue samples from 10 patients with prostate cancer who underwent surgery to remove the entire organ.
Using visuals of both benign samples and tumor samples, as well as specialized equipment, the scientists identified plastic particles in 90% of the tumor samples and 70% of benign tissue samples, according to the study press release.
In past studies, microplastics were found in almost every single human organ along with bodily fluids, even the placenta. (iStock)
The cancerous tissue contained on average more than double the amount of plastic as healthy prostate tissue samples, the study found. This equates to about 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue compared to 16 micrograms.
Researchers avoided contaminating the samples with other plastics by substituting standard tools with those made of aluminum, cotton and other non-plastic material, the release noted.
NIGHTLY BATHROOM HABIT WAS MISSED SIGN OF COMMON MEN’S CANCER: ‘I DIDN’T KNOW’
The scientists say this is the first direct evidence linking microplastics to prostate cancer.
“By uncovering yet another potential health concern posed by plastic, our findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures to limit the public’s exposure to these substances, which are everywhere in the environment,” said senior study author Vittorio Albergamo, assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in the release.
Using visuals of both benign samples and tumor samples, as well as specialized equipment, the scientists identified plastic particles in 90% of the tumor samples and 70% of benign tissue samples. (iStock)
The study findings were presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco on Feb. 26.
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“What is most striking is not that microplastics were detected, but that they were found embedded within tumor tissue itself,” Dr. David Sidransky, oncologist and medical advisor at SpotitEarly, a startup that offers an at-home breath-based test to detect early-stage cancer, told Fox News Digital.
“While complete avoidance is unrealistic, people can take practical steps to reduce exposure.”
“We already know microplastics are present in water, air, blood and even placental tissue. Their detection in prostate tumors suggests systemic distribution and long-term bioaccumulation,” added Maryland-based Sidransky, who was not involved in the study.
Study limitations
Albergamo cautioned that a larger sample is needed to confirm the findings. Additionally, Sidransky noted that the presence of microplastics alone does not prove they cause cancer.
“Tumors can act as ‘biologic sinks,’ meaning they may accumulate circulating particles simply because of altered vasculature and permeability,” he said.
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A key unanswered question, according to the doctor, is whether microplastics are biologically active in ways that “promote DNA damage, immune modulation or chronic inflammation within the prostate.”
About one in eight men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The most actionable step men can take is appropriate screening and early detection, according to doctors. (iStock)
For those concerned about microplastics, Sidransky offered some insights.
“I believe the appropriate response is curiosity, not panic, and a commitment to understand more,” he said.
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“While complete avoidance is unrealistic, people can take practical steps to reduce exposure, such as minimizing heating food in plastic containers, reducing bottled water consumption when possible, and favoring glass or stainless steel alternatives.”
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The most actionable step men can take, however, is getting appropriate screenings to help ensure early detection, according to the doctor. Screening discussions should be individualized based on age, family history and other risk factors.
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