What is Executive Functioning?

Executive Functioning is the ability to plan, to take action rather than procrastinate, to consider multiple possibilities to help you solve problems, and to stay focused. Executive functioning involves your “will,” defined as determination, insistence, persistence, or willfulness. Synonyms for “will” include power, resolve, intention, decisiveness, and self-restraint.

The term “executive function” is an umbrella term that includes many interrelated functions that allow you to control your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The five core components of executive functioning:
• attention
• planning
• flexible thinking
• emotional regulation
• impulse control