Executive Functioning: The Core of Young Adult Success
As the college years unfold, it is absolutely vital for young adults to develop strong executive functioning skills. In many ways, the degree to which a young adult has these skills determines the degree to which they can succeed academically, socially, and professionally. While no two young people mature the same way, these universal abilities formulate the very bridge upon which each individual passes from childhood to adulthood.
According to the Research
“Up to 30% of teenagers struggle with some aspect of executive functioning.” (Goldstein et al., 2014)
“32.9% of undergraduates do not complete their degree”…poor executive skills contribute significantly. (Hanson, Melanie: “College Dropout Rates”)
"EFs are more important for school readiness than are IQ or entry-level reading or math." (Blair & Razza 2007, Morrison et al., 2010)
“Interventions targeting improvement of executive skills have been found to boost academic competence for teenagers.” (Langberg et al., 2018)
"Improvements in executive function correlate with enhanced performance and health-related quality of life.” (Brown, Landgraf, 2010)
So, what are these skills exactly? Executive functioning skills refer to the set of cognitive processes that govern capabilities like organization, planning, focus, time management, working memory, inhibition, prioritization, goal-attainment, etc. But if we had to boil it all down, EF skills are essentially about being able to say “no” to when you want to say “yes” and being able to say “yes” when you want to say “no.”
When EF skills falter, young adults can quickly spiral into mental health struggles. In fact, deficits in these areas have been proven to significantly impede college students’ abilities to thrive independently and lead to highly problematic behaviors like substance abuse and other self-destructive tendencies.
How Executive Dysfunction Exacerbates Mental Health Issues
Students with impaired EF skills often struggle to:
Keep up with heavy academic workloads
Refrain from impulsive behaviors like substance misuse
Maintain healthy sleep, diet and exercise routines
Recognize and communicate depression or anxiety
Balance rigorous coursework and social activities
Regularly attend class and hand in assignments on time
Such ongoings can produce a series of cascading setbacks that erode mental health and lead to significant behavioral and psychological problems.
Understanding Executive Dysfunction
“Now Vs. Not Now”
One of the many symptoms of executive dysfunction is a “Now Vs. Not Now” perception of time. For instance, an essay due in two weeks simply translates to "essay due not now." Oftentimes, this temporal phenomenon results in a young person being labeled as avoidant/lazy, when it has far more to do with a difference in their conception of time. The goal is to help them keep tasks top of mind--to keep tasks in the "now."
The Goldilocks Zone of Difficulty
Young adults with impaired EF skills often struggle with “setting the bar” in the right place as it relates to a given task. They often set it too high or too low. “Too High” is really exciting, but often leads to unrealistic expectations and an inability to follow through, whereas “Too Low” results in the task not being exciting enough to get going. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to help them find the right kind of difficult as a means of sparking their enthusiasm and keeping their motivation flowing.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Another symptom of executive dysfunction is “out of sight out of mind.” The good news is that this seemingly negative phenomenon can actually be leveraged into a positive. When applied to environmental priming, “out of sight, out of mind” cognition can be just as much a “pro” as it is a “con.” By making the conduits of good habits highly visible and the conduits of bad habits invisible, a young adult struggling with EF can leverage their proclivity for “out of sight, out of mind” thinking to great advantage.
Not Deficient, Just Different
When attempting to help a young person with executive dysfunction, we need to remember to curb our neuronormative expectations and remember that the goal is not conformity. Young adults who struggle with executive dysfunction are not deficient, just different. The goal is client-centered skills development. Tools like SMART goal worksheets and planners might seem helpful, but they are often a nightmare for people struggling with EF. Such tools need to be reimagined and fully tailored to the individual.
Executive Functioning Mentoring
With proper guidance, young adults can significantly improve their executive functioning skills and build a solid foundation for real world success. At YPM, our innovative EF12™ Program is specifically designed to target the 12-core executive functioning skills. Via science-backed techniques and an evidence-based approach, we foster a supportive environment in which our clients can mitigate executive dysfunction and attain these core life skills.
How EF12™ Works
Identify executive dysfunction unique to the client
Mitigate obstacles to executive functioning
Implement the 12 core executive functioning skills
Foster positive habit formation / behavioral activation
Incorporate client-centered goal setting techniques
One-on-one sessions with an EF Mentor via Zoom / in-person
Affordable pricing & flexible scheduling (30 days or longer)
Family coaching / supplementary clinicians available
Over 100 accredited mentors on our roster
As young adults move through college and beyond, they will continue have their executive functioning skills and mental health put to the test. While improving EF Skills often results in academic improvements, it also reinforces long term behavioral health and mental wellbeing.
With bespoke services and state-of-the-art care, YPM is here to help young adults and teens mitigate executive dysfunction and attain the skills they need to thrive for years to come.