Executive Dysfunction, ADHD, and Organization
If you have been diagnosed with ADHD, one of the areas you may struggle with is executive function. Executive function speaks directly to our ability to be and stay organized. When we struggle with executive function, organization can be a very overwhelming challenge.
What Is Executive Dysfunction?
Executive dysfunction is a disorder in which the brain has trouble processing things like attention and memory. People with ADHD always have some level of executive dysfunction, but people who don’t have ADHD can also have executive dysfunction, as it can be a symptom of several other disorders, including depression and autism. Executive dysfunction has a huge impact on how a person is able to process information, remember information, prioritize what information they receive and how they’re able to act on it.
How Executive Dysfunction Impacts Your Daily Life
Executive dysfunction can impact your daily life in many ways, including the ability to manage self-control, concentration and focus, planning, and organization. It also can impact memory, causing the person to not remember things, both small details – something you were supposed to bring to work, something you were supposed to do, somewhere you were supposed to be – and even whole events.
Executive Dysfunction and Organization
Executive function is the brain tool we need to get things done. It is how we plan, prioritize, decide, and do. If you have ADHD or executive dysfunction, organizing your life and home can be overwhelming and frustrating. It can be one of the biggest barriers to getting organized, decluttering, and even performing basic maintenance on your home. But there is hope.
Organization, Your Way
We work with people who have ADHD all the time, and I want to reassure you that even if you have ADHD and struggle with executive function, there are so many things you can do to be more organized. But before that can happen, you need to embrace YOU – executive dysfunction and all. The people we see who struggle the most are trying very hard to fit into some image they have of what it means to be organized, looking out at a world that sets standards for organization the way they do for beauty – unrealistically! Being organized doesn’t mean having a picture-perfect home that would make the cover of a magazine.
Organization Can Mean Different Things to Different People
When it comes to being organized, one person’s image of what that means and looks like can be very different from another’s. What’s important is to understand your own needs and to address the areas of your life that are creating stress for you and building some organizational skills and solutions around that. It could be something like forgetting to take the wash out of the machine and putting it in the dryer. It could be the overwhelming amount of junk mail that piles up on your dining room table. It could be remembering to take important papers to work with you. Having a perfectly clean house is not the goal of getting organized; having systems in place that work for you – an alarm that reminds you to put laundry in the dryer, a white board by your door where you can have a checklist to go through before you leave every morning, sorting bins for incoming mail – to help manage your life and reduce your stress.
Do I Have Executive Dysfunction?
Many people struggle with organization who do not have executive dysfunction, but if you struggle with organization and have some of the challenges listed, it’s likely you have executive dysfunction and that it is a symptom of something else – ADHD, anxiety, depression, or other disorders. You may have executive dysfunction if you:
Struggle to be on time to events and activities.
Have missed or been late to meetings at work.
Miss deadlines.
Struggle to focus or pay attention.
Are forgetful.
Struggle to prioritize what should be done when.
Have emotional frustration – anger, overwhelm, stress – because of these experiences.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
If you are struggling to be more organized and your ADHD or executive dysfunction are getting in the way of your ability to do so, you don’t have to do it alone. Working with your doctor and mental health team, you can identify more specifically what challenges you face. There are also many resources available online that can help you with checklists and other tools. And many of the members of our team at Organizing Maniacs have specialized training in working with people with ADHD and executive dysfunction. We are always here to help you find ways that work for you.