Ep 53 Are you accidentally playing on hard mode?

The Executive Function Podcast

Hi team!

Executive function is tricky enough, and some of us accidentally make it harder by doing (or not doing) things that challenge our brains in unnecessary ways. This week, let's uncover some easy wins so you're not accidentally making life more challenging!

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There are many things that make EF extra tricky. Things to consider this week:

Hydration. One study showed that dehydrated participants made 12% more mistakes on a test of cognitive flexibility (which is an EF) and re-hydrating brought EF skills back to their baseline levels.

Location. Try to find a match of energy levels, the right amount and type of noise, activity and visual stimuli, closeness or distance from others, and the specialness of a space.

Attend to your bodies: think about movement, fuel, breaks, comfort...and remember that sitting and staring is an indication that you're stuck.

Social Conflict or needs: Emotional pain=physical pain as far as our brains are concerned. Make peace with the person OR about the conflict (write a letter, schedule time to think about it again, ask for help)

Keeping distractions around: consider removing the things that steal your brain, when you really need to focus.

Not asking for help: remember to know your personal signs of “stuck,” keep a list of where/who can help you, and plan for help for the harder things.

You got this! Let me know how these help!

All my love,

Sarah

Brain Tools School: Life After High School program opens in just a few weeks! Here's the ⁠link ⁠to secure your invitation!