Why you need to know your Executive Function Profile: whether you have ADHD or not.

Today, we explore the essential yet often misunderstood realm of executive function profiles.

🧠 Understanding how your brain manages tasks, impulses, and emotional regulation isn't only useful if you have ADHD; it's a key to thriving in all areas of life for anyone with a brain.

🧡 Key Points Discussed:

• The significance of executive function profiles for people with ADHD and beyond

• Why understanding your own profile can smooth out daily challenges

• How different executive functions impact areas like time management, impulse control, and emotional regulation

• Tools and techniques for building an executive function profile that works for you

• Practical strategies, such as visual timers and self-assessment, to help with task management

Then we explore practical ways to you can create your own profile.

Notable Quotes:

“When we approach our brains with curiosity and without judgment, we're much more able to create a way of working that suits us."

"Understanding your executive function profile isn’t about fixing you; it’s how we let go of judgment and start designing a life that’s truly your own."

If today’s episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might find it helpful.

😀 Remember, your experience can help others overcome their own challenges!

📝 Please don’t forget to leave a review—every bit of support helps us bring you more strategies for an ADHD-friendly life.

Download your ‘Executive Function Tracking Sheet’

Key Questions:

1. Which executive function challenges do you notice most often in your own life (e.g., time management, emotional regulation, impulse control)?

2. What is one simple change you could make to better support an area you find challenging?

3. How might understanding your executive function strengths change the way you approach your goals and responsibilities?

Related Resources:

📘 The CLEAR ADHD Procrastination Cure Ebook – For more on ADHD-friendly strategies.

🎓  Function Junction Course – Transform your approach to creating habits and routines with powerful brain-based methods.

✉️ Subscribe to Katherine’s ADHD Emails – Get actionable advice and tools directly to your inbox.

💡 Schedule a Coaching Session with Katherine - a one-hour meeting to help you untangle your noodles and make progress on what matters.

📈 Discover your ADHD Growth Archetype Quiz - personal growth looks different when we have ADHD. Discover your best plan forward with my free quiz.

Episode Chapters:

• [00:00] Introduction – Why executive function matters for everyone, not just ADHD

• [00:28] What is an Executive Function Profile? – Overview of executive functions and their role in productivity and well-being

• [03:03] Why Understanding Your Profile Matters – Personalizing strategies for success

• [06:02] Time Management & Temporal Processing – How time awareness impacts daily life and how to manage it better

• [08:42] Visual Timers & Tools for Success – Tips for making timing strategies ADHD-friendly

• [09:17] Impulse Control Challenges & Solutions – Practical strategies like the “One Sec” app

• [12:00] Creating Your Profile – Steps to start assessing and building a supportive profile

• [15:10] Closing Thoughts – Embracing curiosity, support, and non-judgment for a better approach to executive function

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Hey, my friend, it's ADHD, coach Katherine. And this is another episode of ADHD. Powerful possibilities.

[00:00:07] This week, we're going to take a deep dive into building an executive function profile. So this isn't specifically aimed at people with ADHD. This applies to everyone. If you're a human being, you have an executive function profile. And the more you understand it. The more efficient and more productive.

[00:00:25] The more fun you are going to have in your daily life.

[00:00:28] If you've ever wondered why some tasks feels so easy and natural.

[00:00:32] And others seem almost impossible.

[00:00:35] This episode is going to help you make sense of that.

[00:00:37] Although I love talking about character strengths, and I think that those are a really important key to having a good life that we enjoy and we achieve what we want. We also need to understand our executive function strengths. There's a different kind of strengths.

[00:00:53] And when we understand that, We can build a system. With scaffolding support. To give us what we need in a day to day basis.

[00:01:02] And when you have that, you can make daily life smoother. And when daily life is smoother, you can start to focus on the big things, the big juicy goals that you've got. Big vision. And we can't do that when we're firefighting on a daily basis.

[00:01:17] We've talked before about executive functions.

[00:01:20] They are the cognitive processes. The processes in our brain.

[00:01:24] That help us to manage ourselves and our resources.

[00:01:27] So that we can achieve a goal. And I know goal is a bit of a four letter word for many people with ADHD. I think about it this way. Sometimes the goal is to go to the bathrooms and relieves the pressure in your body. Sometimes the goal is to stop having a dry mouth. So we need to go and get a glass of water. That's the type of goal we're talking about.

[00:01:49] The executive functions include things like working memory. Flexible thoughts kept cognitive flexibility. Planning organizing. But also things like emotional regulation.

[00:02:00] And of course impulse control is a big one for us with ADHD. Overall people with ADHD tend to struggle with more of these for longer than their average peers. But it is a very variable slope.

[00:02:16] And these functions allow us to prioritize and to choose what we're doing in the right order.

[00:02:22] And to stay focused and adapt. When plans change, maybe you need to get a glass of water for somebody else. First. Because they're about to faint. Our executive functions are so important. Without them, we are going to really struggle to live our lives as independent adults.

[00:02:39] And that's because regulating your emotions. And organizing yourself and your resources. Is basically the rule of adulthood.

[00:02:48] It's why so many of us as adults feel like we are behind all the time. We're not, but we get that feeling because we know that we are having to work extra hard to match our peers.

[00:03:03] So why does it matter when you understand your own executive functions? Because lots of people have read lots of books and written lots of articles about them. How is that going to change when you understand your own profile.

[00:03:16] We'll cut in 2005. Carried out a study where they talked about.

[00:03:20] The variety of ADHD profiles and functions. And they basically described it as a spectrum without using the actual word. There's so much variability was in the ADHD population. That's why many of us feel frustrated when we are given standard procedures. Either from our medical team or from our workplace. And they just don't apply to you.

[00:03:46] And that's because you already have an idea of what your executive function, strengths and challenges are. So giving everybody exactly the same advice is just a waste of time.

[00:03:57] Each one of us has our own. Constellation. If you like. Our own map. Or profile of what we're good at what we find more challenging. Um, where we really need support. And where we do really well and might actually be ahead of our peers in some things.

[00:04:15] This is especially important. If we are struggling in an area of our life, for instance, our impulse control has led to problems with. Addiction with finances with health. You really need to be aware of that before you can introduce strategies and methods to make a difference.

[00:04:32] But the important thing is to look at our brain with curiosity. With openness and not judgment. And that is one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about people understanding the difference between who you are. Who your character is and what your brain is doing, what your executive function strengths are, because they can be very different.

[00:04:56] And you could be a person who is incredibly forgetful, who is a terrible working memory. And yet be an absolute gem of a person with a heart of gold who is passionate about fairness and who makes people laugh and has incredible zest for life. Can you understand why separating these two things? Is really important, not just for who you think you are. But for then how you go out and work in the world around you.

[00:05:23] And when we approach our brains with curiosity, with that lack of judgment. We're much more able to see. Hm, what is it about this particular task that I need to change? How can I create a system and a way of working. That suits me.

[00:05:41] How can I support myself or what are the resources I need from other people to let me get things done?

[00:05:47] The real change happens when we move from blame and shame and guilt. Towards understanding and acceptance.

[00:05:55] Let's make this really practical and we'll explore a few of the more common things. I see every day.

[00:06:02] Let's begin with time management. There is so much a value around somebody's morality. Depending on how aware of time they are, how prompt. They are. How. Conscientiously think about it. If somebody is late for a meeting, What does that say to you about how the D value you there? That meeting. Do you feel like that person respects you or do you feel. Huh?

[00:06:27] They don't think I'm important enough to show up. Actually that person could be struggling with time management and awareness. They could think you're absolutely amazing and really care about the project. But they are people who struggle with time. So it's crucial that time. And tame awareness is taken seriously because it has a big impact on your success with other people.

[00:06:50] And then how you view yourself.

[00:06:52] It's not laziness. It's temporal processing. I, when we don't understand how long a task takes, because we don't feel the sweep of time. We're going to really struggle to get places on time, to return, work on time, to plan out our days so that we are. Uh, showing up when we need to.

[00:07:12] And when we don't show up and when we're consistently late. We start to feel overwhelmed and we all know what happens when we feel overwhelmed. And our emotional circuit starts to kick off. We start to procrastinate because we are avoiding that negative emotion. The habenula has kicked into action and we are stuck again. We are procrastinating. So something like time needs to be taken seriously. At the same time. Huh. We need to know it's not a character flaw.

[00:07:42] And this is where we get interesting. If we are a very visual people. and. Lots of us have a strong visual processing modality. There are visual cues. You can use have a big non-digital clock in every single room that you can see. That is going to grab your attention. Make sure that you have a watch on your wrist. And ideally one that has regular alarms and buzzers that you can change the face of so that you don't get bored of it.

[00:08:11] And sometimes you can even get these countdown timers that change color as time goes by. Those are amazing because it's easy to spot them. Changing really quickly. You're not having to look in a corner.

[00:08:25] I'm a big fan of physical timers that you can see changing as time goes on. Especially for short lengths of time, like 15 minutes, 30 minutes. Really quickly. When you can see it moving, otherwise it feels like it's been two seconds.

[00:08:42] The trick is to make sure there is zero friction. Between you and the tool. If it requires any effort, you are going to stop doing it very quickly. It needs to be something that you can engage with with almost no effort.

[00:08:56] And needs to be simple as basic as possible, and it needs to work with your strongest. Processing modality for most of us. That's visual.

[00:09:05] I am a big fan of visual timers. On my computer, like the Pomodoro kitty website. It shows me when time is up. I don't need to worry about it. It's not an abstract number.

[00:09:17] Let's talk about impulse control. Impulse control affects so many important parts of our life. And yet as adults we're expected to be masters of it. Now we know that lots of people in the adult population struggle, whether they have ADHD or not. So this applies to all of us. But we all know that with ADHD it's turned up to 11 to call. A very famous film.

[00:09:40] You might find that you speak out of turn. That you make decisions that are hasty and definitely not in line with your longterm goals.

[00:09:48] And when you know that impulse control is something you really struggle with. You can factor that in.

[00:09:54] Something that I've been using is an app called one sec. I will put a link in the show notes. And one sec, you program it on your phone and. When we automatically try to open a social media app. It comes up and says. Take a deep breath for one second. My goodness. It's a slow second. But you breathe in and then you breathe out and that says, do you still want to open it? And that is the level of a barrier that I need a lot of the time. To stop myself being caught in the Bermuda triangle of checking Instagram or a threads or Facebook or email. That's four things, but you know, we get caught in this cycle of opening things are not doing what we want to.

[00:10:38] So that is a really good use of technology for impulse control.

[00:10:43] If you don't like using tech and apps, can you create a prompt for yourself? That makes you pause and takes that one second breath before you commit to something. Before you take a step towards something you decided not to do. I think it's hard to, but it's not impossible.

[00:11:00] In fact, I wish that they would add that kind of function onto an app like PayPal or a banking app that just actually to check, do you really want to do this?

[00:11:10] When we take a beat or a breath. And learn to do that regularly. It is incredibly effective. Both at reducing our stress and our impulsive behavior.

[00:11:21] But particularly when we're in relationships and we're talking to people. If you pause for a second before you say yes. First of all, you're going to be able to check, is this in line with what I've decided to do in this relationship? Do I want to say yes or am I people pleasing? And also it lets the other person feel heard;. So there are technical ways to do it.

[00:11:45] There are physical ways to do it. But the benefits aren't just about practical things. It impacts our relationships. And relationships are the most important thing we have.

[00:11:56] So, how could you build your own executive function profile?

[00:12:00] Here's some easy steps for you to do today. First self-assessment.

[00:12:05] Begin by asking yourself, where do I struggle most? Is it planning? It's organizing things at work or at home. Is it time awareness.

[00:12:14] Am I having trouble with impulse control. Do I really struggle with inflexible thinking, do I get upset when my plans change? What's my emotional regulation. Like.

[00:12:25] Am I able to be aware of my thoughts. My metacognition.

[00:12:30] What's my focus like, am I good at focusing and sustaining my attention?

[00:12:34] There are different ways to do this, but you can do it with just a piece of paper and list. Be honest with yourself. You could create a scale from one to 10, which one is the hardest?

[00:12:45] The honesty and not judging yourself is real key.

[00:12:50] The other approach is to get feedback from people, people you trust. And people, you know, whose feedback will not trigger you.

[00:12:57] Do you have a really good friend?

[00:12:59] Do you have a therapist? Do you have a coach? Is there somebody that you can talk to who can help you to be honest and objective about which ones are the hardest for you right now? Or which ones are really good at.

[00:13:13] You might try tracking them for a week. Over the course of seven days, make a list of times that you find this hard.

[00:13:21] I've created a little tracking sheet that you can download. I'll include a link in the show notes. And when you download that you are going to be able to track over the course of a week, which ones you notice most often affecting you? In a negative way, because let's be honest if we're really genius at planning. We don't need a structure to support it.

[00:13:40] But notice the kind of tasks that are more difficult for you.

[00:13:43] Are you losing focus because tasks have too many steps.

[00:13:47] Are you struggling when you have to change your plans or when you move from one activity to the next.

[00:13:52] Download that sheet and track it for a week. And that will give you a really good clue.

[00:13:57] Of course, you can also work with a therapist. A coach or a counselor. And Z could be really helpful because they're going to be skilled at giving you objective, but affirming and positive feedback, or they should do.

[00:14:10] Make sure that whoever you're working with is trained and aware of ADHD and have affects executive functions. I have to say, I worked with a few coaches who were not this a long time ago. And it did make me feel terrible.

[00:14:23] If the professional you're working with is trained. And certified and supporting people with ADHD. They will already have strategies that are going to be designed just for you.

[00:14:34] Remember, this isn't about fixing you. This is about letting go of the judgment that accompanies some of the things your brain is finding more difficult. It doesn't change who you are. And who you want to be. Just changes how you're going to get there.

[00:14:49] Understanding your executive function profile is one of the most empowering things you can do, especially if you have ADHD.

[00:14:57] Instead of feeling like you're constantly behind and letting yourself and others down, you're going to start to see the patterns and have an awareness of which part of your brain is in need of most support.

[00:15:10] If this episode resonated with you. Don't forget, you can download the tracking sheet, but I also have the function junction, executive function and processing modality course. So really simple one unit course where you can create your profile, identify your processing modalities. And then use the workbook with practical examples to design a system that works for you.

[00:15:33] It's a great place to start building a life on your terms.

[00:15:38] When we know our own brain, we are taking the first step to designing a life that is really exclusively yours.

[00:15:45] I'd be so grateful. If you could leave a review, if this is helpful. And until next time. Stay curious. Stay powerful. And take care of yourself.