Your working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-regulation are core components of executive function (EF), an interrelated set of mental skills that lay the foundation for advanced cognitive ...

Executive function is the mechanism by which our brains manage and prioritize our thoughts, working memory, emotions and actions; Harvard researchers call it our brain’s air traffic control system.

I remember applying for my first job at a party store called Wishing Well. It seemed like an amazing place to work, and I was thrilled to hand in my application (on paper, because it was the 90s after ...

It’s the night before your child has a big paper or project due and panic has set in. Deadlines have already been missed and now your child has a mountain of work to complete. As you hunker down to ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover Mental Wellness for Adolescents and Adults. Executive functioning skills are your child’s mental control center, ...

Those who study the brain or treat patients (or both) talk a lot about executive functioning, often in the negative. We refer to “poor executive functioning,” “executive dysfunction,” “frontal lobe ...

Leaving projects until the 11th hour. Easily falling off task. Misplacing or forgetting completed homework. Carrying a chronically messy backpack. These everyday behaviors are signs of weak executive ...

The Adult’s Guide to Stronger Executive Functions: Strategies for Motivation, Emotional Regulation, Working Memory, Prioritization, and More is an essential tool to help adults understand the core ...

Rachel Fairbank is a freelance science writer based in Texas. When she is not writing, she can be found spending time with her family, or at her local boxing gym. Even if you’ve never heard the term ...