What are Adult Executive Functioning Issues?

Life at home does not come with templates or deadlines. Adults with executive functioning issues can find it difficult to manage both work and home successfully. Often, they are able to do the work necessary to keep up at their job, as there is structure set up as part of their job description. Thus, they are aware of what is expected and the ways to carry out their duties as they have a template of each aspect of what is necessary to complete   the work, and a deadline for completion already built in.

At home, navigating the daily activities of cooking, cleaning, laundry, and keeping things organized can become overwhelming. Having no organization or guide to home life is unsettling. It is often said the space around you dictates mood and stress levels. Thus, coming home from work to a setting that is cluttered and disorganized doesn’t allow a safe space of calm and peace, much needed after a full day of work.

How Can an Adult Overcome Executive Functioning Issues?

There are ways to create the same kind of system at home that work, automatically, puts into place. An overall list of goals to accomplish over the week, along with a daily list of “chores” to be accomplished by the end of the day.  Just having a mindset of goals to reach, begins the process of becoming more organized. The goal is to finish each day’s plan. This is a one day at a time kind of situation. Building upon the success of each day lends itself to becoming more confident in your ability to change.

Adults with executive functioning issues often see these issues as problems:

  • planning
  • prioritizing
  • stress
  • follow through
  • persistence
  • organization 
  • productivity
  • procrastination