Women, Mental Health, and Executive Functioning: How Common Mental Health Experiences Impact Our Ability to Manage Everyday Life
Executive functioning is one of those psychological terms that gets thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean, and why does it matter? In simple terms, executive functioning refers to the mental processes that help us plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks successfully. It’s like the brain’s air traffic control system, helping us navigate the complexities of daily life. When we think of executive functioning impairment, we often think of ADHD, which is accurate. But for many women, depression, anxiety, and trauma can seriously disrupt these mental processes, leading to a cascade of challenges in work, relationships, and personal goals.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by a to-do list, struggled to manage your time, or felt paralyzed by indecision, you’re not alone. These are common symptoms of impaired executive functioning, particularly for women who are often juggling multiple roles and responsibilities. This blog will explore how mental health conditions can affect executive functioning, what that looks like in women, and strategies to manage day-to-day life when your brain feels foggy, disorganized, or just plain tired.
What is Executive Functioning?
Executive functioning refers to a set of cognitive skills that allow us to manage our thoughts, actions, and emotions to achieve goals. These skills include:
Planning and Organization: Creating and following a plan to complete tasks, whether it’s preparing a meal, planning a trip, or managing a work project.
Working Memory: Holding information in your mind temporarily to use it, like remembering a phone number long enough to dial it or keeping track of a conversation while listening and formulating your response.
Impulse Control: The ability to think before you act, like pausing before sending an angry email or resisting the urge to procrastinate.
Emotional Regulation: Managing your emotional responses, like calming yourself down when upset or motivating yourself when feeling low.
Flexible Thinking: Adapting to new situations and being able to see different perspectives, which helps with problem-solving when things don’t go as planned.
Self-Monitoring: Recognizing your performance and adjusting your behavior, such as catching mistakes as you make them or noticing when you’re off track.
We use these skills every day, often without even realizing it. From getting out the door on time in the morning to managing work deadlines and keeping the house in order, executive functioning helps us stay on top of life’s many demands. But when depression, anxiety, or trauma are in the picture, these skills can take a significant hit.
Every day activities such as managing spending, budgeting, and impulsive shopping may be executive functioning skills that are impacted negatively by one’s mental health.
How Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma Affect Executive Functioning
For women, the impact of depression, anxiety, and trauma on executive functioning can be profound. These mental health conditions don’t just affect our mood; they can also disrupt the cognitive processes that allow us to function effectively. Here’s how each of these conditions can interfere:
Depression: Depression often comes with a heavy fog of fatigue, lack of motivation, and difficulty concentrating. It’s like trying to think through quicksand—everything feels slower and harder. Tasks that were once manageable, like paying bills, returning phone calls, or even getting dressed, can feel overwhelming. This cognitive slowing is part of why depression can be so disabling; it doesn’t just make you feel sad; it disrupts your ability to think and function.
Anxiety: Anxiety keeps the brain on high alert, constantly scanning for danger, which can interfere with focus and decision-making. When your brain is consumed with worry or fear, it’s hard to prioritize tasks, remember details, or complete projects. Everyday responsibilities like grocery shopping or responding to emails can feel like monumental tasks, often leading to avoidance behaviors that further compound stress.
Trauma: Trauma, especially complex or developmental trauma, can severely impact executive functioning. The brain’s survival mechanisms, which are crucial during traumatic events, can get stuck in overdrive, making it difficult to concentrate, regulate emotions, or manage time effectively. For trauma survivors, everyday tasks can feel disjointed and fragmented, like trying to piece together a puzzle with missing parts.
What Low Executive Functioning Looks Like in Women
Women are often expected to be the organizers, caretakers, and multitaskers of their families and communities. When executive functioning is impaired, these expectations can feel impossible to meet, leading to guilt, shame, and a sense of failure. Here’s what low executive functioning might look like in women:
Struggling with Time Management: You constantly feel like you’re running late or can’t keep up with your schedule. You may have a hard time estimating how long tasks will take, leading to chronic lateness or rushing.
Difficulty Prioritizing Tasks: Your to-do list feels overwhelming, and you’re unsure where to start. You might spend hours on low-priority tasks while avoiding the more critical ones, only to feel even more overwhelmed later.
Procrastination and Avoidance: You put off tasks until the last minute because starting feels too daunting. This might involve avoiding difficult conversations, delaying household chores, or ignoring work deadlines.
Emotional Outbursts or Shutdowns: When things don’t go as planned, you might find yourself reacting more intensely than you’d like—either with anger, tears, or complete emotional shutdown. Regulating emotions feels especially difficult when stressed or tired.
Forgetfulness and Disorganization: You lose track of important details, misplace items, or forget appointments. You might have a dozen post-it notes scattered around, yet still feel disorganized.
Mental Fatigue: Simple tasks feel exhausting. You often feel drained and unfocused, even after seemingly small efforts, making it hard to get through the day.
These symptoms can make it difficult for women to meet the demands of work, family, and personal life, leading to a cycle of frustration and self-blame. But there are ways to manage these challenges and support yourself through the tough times.
Strategies to Manage Daily Activities with Lowered Executive Functioning
Managing life with impaired executive functioning doesn’t mean you’re failing; it means you need a different set of tools. Here are some strategies that can help:
1. Simplify Your To-Do List
If your to-do list feels overwhelming, try breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps. Instead of “clean the house,” write down specific actions like “put laundry in the washer” or “clean kitchen countertops.” Prioritize tasks by importance and urgency, and focus on one small step at a time. Apps like Todoist or Trello can help you organize and visualize tasks in bite-sized chunks, reducing the feeling of overwhelm.
2. Use Timers and Reminders
Time blindness, or losing track of time, is common when executive functioning is impaired. Use timers, alarms, or calendar reminders to help you stay on track. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and commit to working on a task for just that time—knowing you have a set endpoint can make starting feel less daunting. You can also use reminders to prompt self-care activities, like taking medication, drinking water, or stepping outside for a break.
3. Create Routines That Work for You
Routines provide structure, but they don’t have to be rigid or perfect. Start by creating simple, repeatable routines for key parts of your day, like morning or bedtime. For example, a morning routine could include just three steps: get dressed, have coffee, and write down your top three tasks for the day. Keep routines flexible and forgiving; the goal is to create some predictability, not perfection.
4. Set Up a “Command Center”
Create a dedicated space for organizing your daily tasks—this could be a corner of your kitchen, a desk, or even a digital space on your phone. Use a planner, whiteboard, or bulletin board to keep track of appointments, deadlines, and important reminders. This centralized “command center” can serve as your brain’s external hard drive, helping to reduce cognitive load and keep things visible and accessible.
5. Practice Self-Compassion and Adjust Expectations
When your executive functioning is low, it’s easy to fall into the trap of self-criticism. Practice self-compassion by acknowledging that you’re doing the best you can with the tools you have. Adjust expectations for yourself—some days, it’s okay if you only accomplish one or two things. Remind yourself that your worth is not tied to productivity, and celebrate small victories along the way.
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy can be a vital tool in managing the impact of depression, anxiety, and trauma on executive functioning. Here are some therapeutic approaches that can be particularly helpful:
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you identify and challenge negative thought patterns that contribute to avoidance, procrastination, and self-criticism. It also provides practical strategies for improving time management, organization, and decision-making. CBT can help you develop healthier coping mechanisms and build the skills needed to navigate daily challenges.
2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT, originally developed for individuals with emotional regulation difficulties, teaches skills like mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation. These skills can be incredibly helpful for managing the overwhelming emotions that often accompany executive functioning struggles.
3. Trauma-Focused Therapies (EMDR, Somatic Experiencing)
For those whose executive functioning issues are linked to trauma, therapies like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) or Somatic Experiencing can help reprocess traumatic memories and release the body’s stored stress response. This can lead to improved cognitive functioning, reduced anxiety, and greater overall resilience.
4. Occupational Therapy (OT)
Occupational therapy focuses on helping individuals improve their ability to perform daily activities. An OT can help you develop personalized strategies for organization, time management, and task completion, taking into account your unique challenges and strengths.
Reclaiming Your Daily Life
Executive functioning is the foundation that helps us navigate daily life, but when depression, anxiety, or trauma are in the mix, these skills can feel shaky and unreliable. For women, the pressures of managing multiple roles can exacerbate these challenges, making it feel like you’re constantly falling behind.
But struggling with executive functioning doesn’t mean you’re lazy or incapable—it means your brain is under stress, and you need compassion, support, and tools that work for you. By implementing small, practical strategies, seeking therapeutic support, and being gentle with yourself, you can manage these challenges and start reclaiming your daily life, one step at a time.
Remember, you are more than your productivity. You are resilient, capable, and deserving of kindness, both from yourself and others. Your worth is not measured by how flawlessly you juggle tasks but by the courage you show in navigating the complexities of life with authenticity and grace.