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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Eight energy drinks per day may lead to serious health consequences, recent research suggests.
A relatively healthy man in his 50s suffered a stroke from the overconsumption of unnamed energy beverages, according to a scientific paper published in the journal BMJ Case Reports by doctors at Nottingham University Hospitals in the U.K.
The unnamed man was described as “normally fit and well,” but was experiencing left-side weakness, numbness and ataxia, also known as poor coordination or unsteady walking.
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When the man sought medical attention, it was confirmed via MRI that he had suffered an ischemic thalamic stroke, the report stated.
The patient’s blood pressure was high upon admission to the hospital, was lowered during treatment and then rose again after discharge, even though he was taking five medications.
The 50-year-old man (not pictured) admitted to drinking eight energy drinks per day. (iStock)
The man revealed that he consumed eight cans of energy drink per day, each containing 160 mg of caffeine. His caffeine consumption had not been recorded upon admission to the hospital.
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Once the man stopped drinking caffeine, his blood pressure normalized, and he was taken off antihypertensive medications.
High caffeine content can raise blood pressure “substantially,” a doctor confirmed. (iStock)
Based on this case, the authors raised the potential risks associated with energy drinks, especially regarding stroke and cardiovascular disease.
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They also highlighted the importance of “targeted questioning in clinical practice and greater public awareness.”
The authors say this case draws attention to the potential dangers of over-consuming energy drinks. (iStock)
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel reacted to the case study in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“This case report illustrates the high risk associated with a large volume of energy drink consumption, especially because of the high caffeine content, which can raise your blood pressure substantially,” said Siegel, who was not involved in the study.
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“In this case, the large amount of caffeine appears to have led directly to very high blood pressure and a thalamic stroke, which is likely a result of that soaring blood pressure.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the case study authors and various energy drink brands for comment.
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Oprah Winfrey is shining a light on family estrangement, which she calls “one of the fastest-growing cultural shifts of our time” — but one expert says the media mogul helped fuel that very culture.
“A Cornell University study now shows that almost one-third of Americans are actively estranged from a family member,” Winfrey said on a recent episode of “The Oprah Podcast,” referring to adult children going “no-contact” with parents, siblings or entire family systems.
Winfrey said the trend is a “silent epidemic” that can be especially relevant during the holidays.
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But family and relationship coach Tania Khazaal, who focuses on fighting “cutoff culture,” took to social media to criticize Winfrey for acting as if the estrangement crisis appeared “out of thin air.”
“Now Oprah is shocked by the aftermath of estrangement, after being one of the biggest voices pushing it for decades,” Canada-based Khazaal said in an Instagram video, which drew more than 27,000 likes and 3,000 comments.
Oprah Winfrey recently discussed what she called a “silent epidemic” of family estrangement on her podcast. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Khazaal claimed that Winfrey’s messaging started in the 1990s and has contributed to a cultural shift where walking away became the first resort, not the last.
According to the relationship coach, millennials, some of whom grew up watching Oprah, are the leading demographic cutting off family members — and even if it wasn’t intentional, “the effect has absolutely been harmful,” Khazaal told Fox News Digital.
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The coach, who has her own history with estrangement, questioned why Winfrey is now treating the issue as a surprising crisis.
“Now she hosts a discussion with estranged parents and estranged kids, speaking on estrangement like it’s some hidden, sudden, heartbreaking epidemic that she had no hand in,” she said in her video.
Nearly one-third of Americans are estranged from a family member, research shows. (iStock)
Khazaal said she believes discussions about estrangement are necessary, but insists that people shouldn’t “rewrite history.”
“Estrangement isn’t entertainment or a trending conversation piece,” she added. “It’s real families, real grief, parents dying without hearing their child’s voice.”
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Winfrey reportedly responded in the comments, writing, “Happy to have a conversation about it — but not on a reel. Will have my producer contact you if you’re interested.” But the comment was later deleted due to the backlash it received, Khazaal told Fox News Digital.
“I would still be open to that discussion,” Khazaal said. “The first thing I’d want her to understand is simple: Setting aside cases of abuse or danger, the family unit is the most sacred structure we have.”
Experts emphasize that estrangement should be a last resort. (iStock)
“When children lose their sense of belonging at home, they search for it in the outside world,” she added. “That’s contributing to the emotional fragility we’re seeing today.”
Her critique ignited a debate online, with some social media users saying Khazaal is voicing a long-overdue concern.
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“The first time I heard, ‘You can love them from a distance’ was from Oprah … in the ’90s,” one woman said.
“My son estranged himself from us for five years,” one mother commented. “The pain, hurt and damage never goes away.”
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Others, however, argued that Winfrey’s podcast episode was empathetic and that estrangement shouldn’t be oversimplified.
Mental health experts say the conversation around estrangement is more complex than any single celebrity influence, and reflects broader cultural shifts.
Experts say today’s focus on boundaries and emotional well-being has reshaped family expectations. (iStock)
In the episode with Winfrey, Joshua Coleman, a California-based psychologist, said, “The old days of ‘honor thy mother and thy father,’ ‘respect thy elders’ and ‘family is forever’ has given way to much more of an emphasis on personal happiness, personal growth, my identity, my political beliefs, my mental health.”
Coleman noted that therapists sometimes become “detachment brokers” by unintentionally green-lighting estrangement.
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Jillian Amodio, a licensed master’s social worker at the Maryland-based Waypoint Wellness Center, told Fox News Digital that while public figures like Winfrey help normalize these conversations, estrangement might just be a more openly discussed topic now.
“Estrangement used to be handled privately and quietly,” she said.
Winfrey’s take on family estrangement is prompting a broader discussion amid the holiday season. (iStock)
But even strained relationships can be fixed with the right support, experts say.
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Susan Foosness, a North Carolina-based clinical director of patient programs at Rula Health, said families can strengthen their relationships by working with a mental health professional to improve communication, learn healthier conflict-resolution skills, and build trust and empathy through quality time together.
“No family is perfect,” Foosness told Fox News Digital.
Khazaal agreed, saying, “Parents need to learn how to listen without slipping into justification, and children need help speaking about their pain without defaulting to blame or avoidance.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Winfrey for comment.
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