Understanding Executive Function: Working with your neurodivergent brain, not against it
As a neurodivergent professional, you may process more information than your brain can efficiently manage, leading to cognitive overload.
This can negatively impact your performance at work, as well as productivity, decision-making, and energy levels. Understanding how to reduce cognitive load, optimise executive function, and manage energy is essential to turning these challenges into strengths.
The Intersection of Executive Function and Energy Management
The challenges neurodivergent professionals face at work are not due to a lack of intelligence or ability. They arise from how our brains process information and manage tasks. Executive function—our ability to plan, organise, focus, regulate emotions, and make decisions—is typically where inefficiencies occur. When executive function is overloaded, it can lead to mental burnout, procrastination, forgetfulness, emotional dysregulation, poor time management, and decision paralysis or impulsivity. These challenges are often exacerbated by poor energy management, as our neurodivergent brains may experience energy fluctuations due to overstimulation or under-stimulation.
“Executive Functions make it possible for us to mentally play with ideas, quickly and flexibly adapt to changed circumstances, take time to consider what to do next, resist temptations, stay focused, and meet novel, unanticipated challenges.”
Adapting environments to work with our brain’s natural wiring and energy patterns is crucial for optimising both performance and well-being. Energy management is also key. By understanding how to conserve and channel your energy throughout the day, you can avoid burnout and keep your executive functions working efficiently.
The Critical Role of Energy Management in Neurodivergent Productivity
Overloaded brains can lead to mental fatigue and a drop in energy levels. Coupled with challenges in executive function, this energy depletion can exacerbate issues like poor focus, indecision, and emotional dysregulation. Energy management helps optimise our focus, prevent burnout, and maintain consistent productivity throughout the day.
By applying the right energy management techniques alongside strategies for executive function, it’s possible to boost your performance and better navigate daily challenges you may have struggled with for years.
The Link Between Neuroscience, Energy Levels, and Executive Function
A 2024 study published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience highlighted the role of structure, mindfulness, and time management in enhancing executive function. These findings align with the importance of energy management: by using strategies to aid our brain’s natural function, we optimise both cognitive performance and energy levels.
The brain's energy is largely governed by the balance between stimulation and rest. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and dopamine system regulate our focus and motivation, but when these areas are overstimulated or underutilised, energy depletion occurs, leading to inefficiency. Understanding how to regulate these areas helps conserve and harness energy more effectively.
Where to start? First, it’s helpful to understand the key areas of Executive Function and energy management, before beginning to use them to your benefit as a neurodivergent person.
1. Working Memory and Cognitive Load: Managing Your Mental Capacity
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is responsible for working memory. When overloaded, the brain consumes excess energy and becomes fatigued. You may have struggled with forgetting details, losing track, feeling overwhelmed.
To combat this, use task lists, sticky notes, or digital reminders to ease cognitive load and prevent energy drain from the PFC.
2. Inhibition Control and Distractions: Strengthening Your Focus
The PFC and dopamine system regulate attention, and disruptions can lead to mental exhaustion. Perhaps you find it difficult to stay focused at work, or are prone to making impulsive decisions.
Try practising mindfulness, and use structured focus techniques (e.g., the Pomodoro method) to conserve energy and sustain attention.
3. Task Initiation and Decision Paralysis: Overcoming Cognitive Blocks
The PFC and dopamine system control task initiation and motivation, but overanalysis and indecision can drain energy. You may have found yourself overanalysing, disinterested, struggling to start on a task or feeling overwhelmed by choices.
Consider breaking tasks into small steps, set time limits for analysis, and use decision tools to prevent mental exhaustion and preserve energy.
4. Time Management and Planning: How to Optimise Task Organisation
The PFC is essential for planning and organising. Inefficient time management leads to cognitive overload and energy depletion.
How does this show up for you? Perhaps with time blindness, underestimating task duration, or difficulty structuring workloads.
Try using time-blocking, scheduling, and visual planning tools to preserve energy and maintain efficiency.
5. Decision-Making and Mental Overload: Simplifying Cognitive Strain
The PFC filters and processes information, but too much input can lead to mental overload and energy depletion. Many of us have felt overwhelmed by too many choices, decision paralysis, or impulsive decisions.
To negate this paralysis, find ways of automating small decisions, use decision trees, set deadlines, and delay large decisions when emotions are high to prevent cognitive overload and conserve energy.
6. Memory Recall and Overstimulation: Enhancing Your Mental Clarity
The hippocampus and PFC are responsible for memory recall. Stress and overstimulation impair these areas, draining energy. Do you find yourself struggling to recall information under stress or when overstimulated?
Practice relaxation techniques, reduce distractions, and use mnemonic devices or visual aids to keep energy levels steady.
7. Context Switching, Interruptions, and Task Completion: Reducing Distractions to Help Your Focus
Contemporary workplaces are full of context switching: instant messages from team members, alerts on our phones and Zoom calls are part of an average day for many employees. But frequent context switching overloads the PFC and mediodorsal thalamus, which are key for focus and cognitive control, draining energy. You may find yourself struggling to complete tasks due to constant interruptions or difficulty transitioning between tasks.
Work on minimising distractions, batch similar tasks, and schedule dedicated focus times to avoid cognitive overload and maintain energy.
It’s likely we’ve all felt the effects of cognitive overload in our working day, experiencing depleted energy, impaired decision-making, and an overall reduction in productivity. However, understanding the neuroscience behind executive function and applying energy management strategies can help optimise both cognitive performance and overall energy. By balancing focus, planning, and decision-making with efficient energy use, we can thrive, reduce overwhelm, and unlock our full potential.
Sources
Adele Diamond: Executive Functions
Frontiers | Neuro-Empowerment of Executive Functions in the Workplace: The Reason Why