Category: Environment and Sensory
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Skin Picking Disorder and Executive Dysfunction: Why the Urge Feels So Strong (and What Can Help)
Skin picking disorder (also called excoriation disorder or dermatillomania) is more connected to executive function challenges than many people realize. For neurodivergent adults, especially those with ADHD or autism, executive dysfunction can make skin picking behaviors harder to manage—and understanding this link is key to building self-compassion and finding healthier coping strategies. I’ve lived with…
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What Are Executive Functioning Skills?
Executive functioning skills are fundamental cognitive skills that include our abilities to plan, prioritize, organize, remember information, and regulate our emotions so we can complete daily tasks successfully. If you’ve ever wondered what are executive functioning skills or how they impact your life, you’re not alone—but you are ahead of the curve, because we are just beginning…
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Why Impulse Spending Happens: Understanding Neurodivergence and Money Habits
For many neurodivergent adults (especially those with ADHD, autism, or related conditions) managing money isn’t as easy as numbers on a spreadsheet—instead, it’s about navigating impulse spending, emotional regulation difficulties, and executive function challenges that can derail plans and make financial stability feel out of reach. Based on (limited) research, adults with ADHD are more…
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When Identity Feels Like a Battleground: A Gentle Guide for Navigating Self-Criticism and Overwhelm
The SOS page of the ThriveMind Planner is something I’d been envisioning for a long time. It’s designed for those horrific internal moments — the moments when everything feels like it’s crumbling, and despite your best efforts, you just can’t seem to escape as it all comes crashing down. In those moments, I tend to…
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10 Adult ADHD Coping Strategies for Beating Executive Dysfunction
Executive dysfunction is one of the most frustrating and invisible challenges of living with ADHD. You know what you want to do. You want to do it. And yet… the moment to act comes, and your brain slams on the brakes. Whether it’s starting a simple task, remembering what you were doing, or managing your…
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What is “Executive Functioning Access”?
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in Accountability, Blog, Cognitive Flexibility, Emotional Regulation, Environment and Sensory, Executive Function Coaching, Identity and Self Concept, Motivation & Reward, Strategies and Supports, Student Resources, Task Management, Teacher Resources, Teen Resources, Time Management, Transition, Working MemoryExecutive function refers to a core set of cognitive skills that help us manage everyday tasks—skills like working memory, organization, planning and prioritization, time management, cognitive flexibility, task initiation, emotional regulation, perseverance, and more. For neurodivergent individuals, especially those with ADHD or autism, these skills can be more difficult to access or rely on consistently.…
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How to Reset Your Autonomic Nervous System: Quick Relief for Overwhelmed Minds
Have you ever felt like your mind is racing and you cannot calm down—no matter how hard you try? Or maybe the opposite: your brain just shuts off and everything feels foggy, numb, or stuck.These intense and uncomfortable states signal that your autonomic nervous system is sounding the alarm, and it’s time to stop and…
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Executive Function Tools for Neurodivergent Adults: ADHD Strategies That Work
If you’ve ever frustratedly told yourself, “I should be able to manage this like everyone else”—you’re not alone. Many neurodivergent adults have grown up using systems that weren’t built for their brains, trying to make traditional planners, routines, or strategies work, only to feel like they’re constantly falling behind. But the problem isn’t you—it’s that…
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![[Course Video] Tailoring the Wheel of Life for Neurodivergent Minds: A Life Coaching Tool That Actually Fits](https://executivefunctiontoolkit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/thumbnail.png)
[Course Video] Tailoring the Wheel of Life for Neurodivergent Minds: A Life Coaching Tool That Actually Fits
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in Accountability, Blog, Cognitive Flexibility, Emotional Regulation, Environment and Sensory, Executive Function Coaching, Identity and Self Concept, Motivation & Reward, PDF, Printable & Downloads, Strategies and Supports, Student Resources, Task Management, Teacher Resources, Teen Resources, Time Management, Transition, Working MemoryIf you’ve accepted the role of executive function challenges in ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders, then you’ve come a long way from seeing missed deadlines and lost car keys as direct personal failures. Today, we know that these “careless” tendencies often stem from real, neurological differences—and are commonly tied to executive functioning. And yet, many…
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Emotional Dysregulation in ADHD Adults: Executive Function, Neurobiology, and the Neurodivergent Experience
If you’re a psychology buff, it might interest you to know that chronic emotional dysregulation is said to “lie at the heart” of borderline personality disorder—which is widely recognized as one of the most difficult personality disorders to treat. It can be easy to assume emotional dysregulation only refers to so-called “negative” emotions, like anger…