Why does one person have a successful life while another struggles? A range of factors, of course, play a role, but there’s reason to suspect that a set of mental functions known as executive functioning skills might matter most of all. These skills allow us to exert inhibitory control (that is, self-control and attentional control)—and it turns out that inhibitory control is very closely linked to life success.
An influential study published in 2011 by Duke University researchers tracked more than 1,000 New Zealand residents from childhood into adulthood. The study found that children’s inhibitory control (being more persistent, less impulsive and having better attention regulation) were highly predictive of their future financial success…their odds of not being overweight and not having health problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure…and their odds of not having substance-abuse problems and/or criminal records. Additional research has found that executive functioning skills (also known as executive functions) are predictive of marital harmony, job performance, school performance, happiness and overall quality of life.
Some bad news: Many aspects of executive functioning decline as people progress through middle and old age. But there is good news—you can improve your executive functions at any age, from infancy all the way up through your 80s and 90s.
Bottom Line Personal recently spoke with neuroscientist Adele Diamond, PhD, a leader in the study of executive functions, to find out more.
What are Executive Functioning Skills?
Executive functions are not one single thing. The term refers to a range of mental processes that involve “top-down control”—our ability to think before we act or speak…plan…problem solve…and more. These skills are called upon when it would be unwise or impossible to proceed on autopilot…using them requires effort and attention. Example: If you’re out for a bike ride, you don’t need your executive functions to operate the bike—unless you’re very new to cycling, this is an activity that almost certainly comes naturally to you so there’s no need to engage top-down control. But your executive functions come into play when there’s a detour on your usual biking route and you need to choose an alternative.
Executive functions are handled by a neural system led by the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain located just behind the forehead. In terms of human evolution, this is the most recent part of the brain to develop, and it is the part of the brain that takes the longest to develop as we mature—the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until we are in our 20s. This also is the most fragile part of the brain and the part that tends to deteriorate earliest as we age (often beginning around age 40). The prefrontal cortex is, along with the hippocampus, the part of the brain most affected in dementia.
Three Core Components of Executive Functions
Executive functioning skills are divided into three categories…
Working memory involves holding information in our mind and working with it. Examples: We use our working memory when we mentally calculate which of two products of different size and price is the better deal…when we cook a meal featuring multiple components and time it so that everything is ready at the appropriate time…and when we remember a point we want to raise while also continuing to follow along with what someone else is saying during a conversation.
Inhibitory control involves exerting self-control over our thoughts, attention, actions, words and emotions. Examples: We use inhibitory control when we stop ourselves from blurting out an inappropriate comment…stop ourselves from retaliating against the driver who cut us off in traffic…want to eat a piece of cake but decide not to do so until after dinner…and at other times when we overrule our initial impulse and instead choose a more thoughtful response. We also use our inhibitory control when we ignore the TV playing in the background or the conversation at the neighboring restaurant table to focus on the conversation that we are part of…and when we remain focused on a topic or task of importance rather than allow our mind to wander, daydream or ruminate.
Cognitive flexibility involves creative problem-solving, including what’s often called “thinking outside the box,” as well as being able to switch mindset or switch between tasks. Examples: We use our cognitive flexibility when we alter our original plans because a new opportunity or unexpected hurdle has presented itself…and when we reframe a problem to see it in a whole new way. Also, a parent working from home who seamlessly shifts between interacting with a professional colleague over the phone and dealing with a young child’s questions, is using cognitive flexibility.
Boosting Executive Functioning Skills
Executive functions can be improved at any age through training and practice. There are many strategies and programs designed to accomplish this, but the most effective appears to be regularly engaging in a physical activity that you really enjoy that involves a strong executive function component.
It is well-established that exercise is good for the brain and the body, but if your goal is to improve your executive functions, certain purely aerobic forms of exercise, including jogging, riding a stationary bike and swimming laps, are not ideal.
Better: Select a physical activity that requires you to use your executive functioning skills to make fast-paced strategic decisions. Martial arts have been shown to be effective, but most team sports, including basketball and soccer, qualify as well. Don’t waste time worrying about whether taekwondo or pickup basketball requires more executive-function decision making—the best choice is whatever strategic athletic activity you enjoy the most. If you don’t love engaging in an activity, you might end up participating on autopilot…and when you’re on autopilot, you’re not using your executive functioning skills. Research supports this choose-the-activity-you-love strategy—studies are significantly more likely to find executive functioning skills benefit when participants have decided on their own to take part in a particular physical activity than when they are assigned to a particular activity.
Alternatives: If you can’t find a strategic athletic activity that you enjoy, try taking an acting class or auditioning for a role in a local community theater production. Acting, like athletics, involves both body movement and the use of executive functions—in fact, acting engages all three core components of executive functions. A study by a husband-and-wife team of researchers at Elmhurst College found that four weeks of theater training produced impressive cognitive and executive function benefits.
Helpful: If declining executive functioning skills causes you challenges as you age, don’t strive just to improve your executive functions. Also look for “scaffolding” strategies that provide support and minimize the consequences of this decline. Example: If you struggle to perform calculations in your head as your working memory declines, carry a notepad and do any necessary calculations on paper or use your phone’s calculator. The ability to perform working-memory mental calculations often is the first executive functioning skill to decline as we age. If you increasingly struggle to tune out background talk, mute or pause the TV volume when you chat with loved ones…and choose quiet restaurants when you eat out.
The Stress Connection
Our executive functioning skills are worse when we’re under stress—even very mild stress. Stress causes a rush of the neurotransmitter dopamine to the prefrontal cortex, and while the prefrontal cortex requires dopamine, the amount it receives when stressed is excessive, and the result is akin to flooding a car’s engine with too much fuel. If you’re feeling stressed: Postpone any important decision making and engage in stress-reduction activities such as exercise. Sadness, loneliness and depression also have been shown to negatively impact executive functioning.
Related: People who suffer from Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have impaired inhibitory control. The reduced executive functions associated with stress can mimic this ADHD symptom. As a result, patients who are living stressful lives and/or who had stressful childhoods sometimes are misdiagnosed as having ADHD.
