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Why am I here??? Is it… What day is it again?
Why am I here??? Is it… What day is it again?
Press snooze, snuggle in the blanket, make and eat breakfast and then turn on the engine to go to work. As the holiday approaches, Uchi knows her work life will be busier, and she plans to have a brain break during her working day. She quickly resumes her work after feeling refreshed; at the same time, her brain is thinking ahead and planning dinner. The busy day ends, at last. Uchi feels in the mood to celebrate and plans dinner alone at her favourite restaurant. However, when she's about to leave, her colleague invites her to celebrate today's success and also the last day of work. She agrees and then decides to join all of her colleagues for a hang out before enjoying their winter holiday as well as celebrating her personal success in meeting all deadlines.
Many of us may live a life like Uchi, a person that is able to prepare in advance, and yet be flexible enough to change plans, go with the flow and manage life easily. Perhaps, some of us are also aware of those that seem to live their life as if in a horror movie. They struggle to find keys, forget plans, arrive late and seem to be in a constant whirlwind of chaos. The resulting high levels of anxiety often impacts the quality of their work, their relationships and their life.
Back to Uchi’s life and we see that she is able to successfully navigate day to day life with the help of her executive functioning skills. Executive functioning skills are a set of mental skills that are responsible for flexible thinking, organisation skills and self-control. Executive functioning skills are essential for success in all areas of our lives. Paul Yellin, MD associate professor of pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine, refers to executive function as the orchestra conductor of the brain.
Executive functioning skills are located primarily in the prefrontal regions of the brain. As you look at yourself in the mirror, you can imagine that the executive functioning skills are located directly behind your forehead.
The executive functioning skills can be divided into three parts, each of which is responsible for a specific task:
Working memory (liable for holding new information)
Cognitive flexibility (responsible for flexible thinking)
Inhibitory control (accountable for self - control)
All of these functions are crucial for learning and development throughout our life.
It is important to note that these are not a set of skills that we are born with; rather they are a set of skills that we need to develop. Parents can help to develop the foundation of these skills during infancy by playing simple games such as peekaboo.
As a child reaches the tweens and teens, adults can facilitate the continued growth of executive functioning skills by establishing balanced routines, modeling social behaviour and maintaining positive relationships.
When we consider HBL, Uchi - and people like her - will likely do just fine. She is able to set goals, create schedules and stick to them. She has the self-awareness to understand if she is experiencing burnout or pandemic fatigue and has the self-management skills to activate strategies that return her to a state where she can function well again.
We can all be just like Uchi, and strengthen our executive skill functions. Here are some easy access tips that you can try at home to support the continued strengthening of your executive functioning skills:
Card games such as UNO or Bridge can provide opportunities for you to practice memory and mental flexibility.
Games such as chess can be great for combining short term memory practice, flexible thinking as well as strategic planning
Exercising with a jump rope can enhance working memory, focus and attention and has the added benefit of sustaining a healthy body.
Playing a musical instrument requires the musician to sustain mental focus whilst manipulating the instrument. The benefit is doubled if the musician sings along whilst playing.
Dancing supports the enhancement of the working memory and the brain’s ability to sustain focus.
Crosswords, sudoku and the rubik’s cube all provide opportunities for the development of executive functioning skills.
Computer games are not all bad! Games such as Minecraft can help with the working memory and strategic planning. Remember to limit computer games to an hour a day.
The activities above all require a degree of self-regulation, which relies heavily on executive functioning skills. Many of the activities that strengthen executive functioning skills are fun and can be done with others. Perhaps this holiday will be the perfect time for families to relax together, whilst providing their brains with the perfect work out opportunity.
For more ideas of fun ways to strengthen executive functioning skills, please explore the following sites:
https://www.thepathway2success.com/games-to-improve-executive-functioning-skills/
https://leftbrainbuddha.com/10-fun-activities-that-teach-executive-functioning-kids-teens/
https://parentingpod.com/executive-functioning-activities/
Sources of information:
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