#### With poor executive function even activities you would like to do become difficult to approach --- **Executive function:** > The cognitive process that encompasses an individual's ability to organize thoughts and activities, prioritize tasks, manage time efficiently, and make decisions. Executive function is impaired in brains with [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]]. It makes starting tasks very difficult as the "friction" to starting a task seems insurmountable when once begun, a task may be easier to bring to completion. It is akin to trying to roll a boulder up a mountain^[[[Sisyphus]]] (The friction to initially starting the task), finally reaching the top (starting the task), and pushing it so it rolls down the other side (bringing the task to completion). Effective ways to combat the effects of [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]] on Executive Function would be reducing the start up costs / "friction" to beginning a task. This can be attempted though a few methods: - Chunking tasks into smaller, more modular atomized pieces that are easier to begin / accomplish / undertake^[[[Well defined tasks negate the need for the use of the limited supply of will power]]]^[[[Tasks that are not atomized and cannot be finished in a single step are projects]]] - Living off a calendar with time blocking for those tasks so the schedule dictates your work The smaller the task the easier it is to begin. It's less of an investment of willpower to watch a video that is 1 minute long than one that is 1 hour long. --- Tags: [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]] - [[Psychology]] - [[Productivity]] - [[Mental Health]] References: Related: