Using the Mind’s “Executive Functions”

The current medical crisis is an unexpected global challenge, and people are in confusion mode. Pandemic solutions are required for the entire population, not only for hospitals. Basic human understanding demands a sharpening to become more agile and precise in meeting emerging needs.

Executive Functions and Critical Thinking

I distinguish between the process of critical thinking and executive function skills, a concept used in neuropsychology. Critical thinking is an ongoing activity; executive functioning is optimal, deep, and intermittent—focused precision at particular times. This sharpening includes self-monitoring and future anticipation. The two levels of thinking are not mutually exclusive. Overlap occurs, but viewing them as different adds clarity to their meaning.

Day-to-day reasoning ability is using critical thinking to identify and problem-solve. Within critical thinking, the executive functions (e.g., working memory, thinking abstractly, and complex decision-making) are needed to manage the intricacies that novel, uncommon, or unprecedented dilemmas pose. These complex processes are frontline tools acting to name, organize, and plan problem-solving. The goal is adapting to unprecedented internal and external realities. This ability means managing oneself alone and with others by identifying current alternatives and future consequences.

Today more than ever, people feel “stressed out,” irritable, and emotionally over-reactive. The good news is that brain-based executive abilities can meaningfully temper anxiety, stress, and mood. Stress increases excess cortisol that weakens immunity and lowers resistance to infection. Thus, stress reduction helps one’s “biomental” well-being.

A review of the executive functions—neuroanatomy—begins with their brain base in the cerebral cortex and limbic system. An outline of seven executive functions and how they operate follows. Last, applying them to life management skills—mindful critical thinking in the real world—in this era of COVID-19’s unexpected dilemmas complete this discussion.

The Brain Base of Logic and Reason

Executive abilities involve multiple brain areas, including:

• Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (dlPFC), which is key to fluid reasoning
• Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC), which integrates emotional experience and cognitive skills
• Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC), important in value formation and choice

With this base of reasoning is an underlying core of emotionality in the brain’s amygdala and limbic system. The synchrony of reason and emotion yields empathy, the essence of self-compassion and care for others.

Executive Functions

Although separated into several groups, the executive functions work in an “entourage” fashion—each supporting and enhancing one another.

Seven executive functions:

• Self-awareness
• Inhibition
• Nonverbal Working Memory
• Verbal Working Memory
• Emotional Regulation
• Motivational Regulation
• Planning and Problem-Solving

Self-awareness centers on self-directed action—an awareness of what you are doing.

Inhibition is impulse control and self-restraint. It acts to stop thinking and behavior and redirects not working successfully or acting harmfully.

Nonverbal working memory centers on self-directed sensing, mental imagery, and the awareness of time. It guides behavior by memory and anticipation—a map to orient thought and action toward future goals.

Verbal working memory allows for the preservation of a limited amount of speech-related information for use. It can show up as talking to oneself either out loud or silently.

Emotional regulation involves modulating feelings that arise when evoked by notable events.

Motivational regulation involves self-directed motivation. Internal stimulation, not needing constant guidance from others, is the driving force.

Planning and problem-solving: This executive function innovates a plan that can be refined, reformulated, and updated, so that trial and error sharpen it toward efficacy.S

Full cognitive, emotional, and impulse control development is neurologically complete by 25 to 30 years old. The precision of each function and their impact varies among people and context.

Applying Executive Functions and Mindfulness to Manage COVID-19

Self-sequester demands to distance from another. This contextual reality emphasizes that mindfulness and work on executive functions are mostly individual rather than social. Individual leadership and personal accountability remain foremost. Individual actions have a collective impact.

Western health care systems have been built on the concept of patient-centered care, but an epidemic requires a changed perspective—community-centered care. This shift occurs both by direct modeling and more effective interpersonal functioning. Social distancing is needed, but socializing from a distance calls for innovative tactics.

Creative paths, for example, include distance and online learning, webinars, telehealth, emails, or video chats with significant others. Thus, quality time replaces the “empty calories” of excessive social media and gaming. Beginning a brief autobiography is a fantastic exercise in mindfulness. Starting with “Who am I?” churns self-reflection.

Important matters to consider are the stressors of newfound interpersonal closeness and the “cabin fever” of being sequestered in place. Defusing the strain of prolonged tight living conditions is countered by open communication, intentional cooperativeness, and humor.

The combination of proactive coping (executive skill planning) and mindful, present-moment awareness helps settle one’s mindset and reduce stress.

The following interventions support internalizing effective cognitive skills. Executive reasoning, grounded in cognitive functions, has a base in stable emotionality. This emotional even-handedness is not perfect tranquility, but a paused state used as the platform for enhancing, if not amplifying, focus, problem-solving, and planning.

Therefore, slowing down by intentionally pausing in thought and behavior best prepares the ground for thought refinement.

Mindfulness is one of the best tools to use. To engage in effective mindfulness: pause, breathe slowly, pay attention, in the present moment, on purpose, and non-judgmentally. Amid this, maintaining an underlying curiosity amplifies one’s receptivity to learning. Curiosity characterizes the prepared mind, ready to take chances when opportunities appear. Preparation underlies the robust resilience of those exposed to stress and trauma.

The following lists 12 self-directed guidelines to organize and orient thinking toward effective goal accomplishment.

1.) scheduling short- and long-term tasks and assignments

2.) an abundance of cues such as signs (e.g., face masks), notes, lists, timers, and so forth

3.) outlining daily routines

4.) fluidly updating these sequences as circumstances change

5.) continuously reinforcing on-task behaviors

6.) using positive reinforcements rather than overemphasizing negative reprimands

7.) estimating timelines required to complete tasks

8.) breaking down larger tasks into smaller steps

9.) constructing daily, weekly, and monthly schedules

10.) prioritizing schedule sequencing from critical to urgent to important

11.) refining the routine as needed with time

12.) improving general problem-solving skills by remembering to pause and use mindfulness throughout the day.

Incorporating the pandemic solutions above is a resilience strategy. Enhancing executive capacities refines reasoning and successful adaption to unexpected events. What works for you is key. Mindfully applying these cognitive enhancers is active coping. The stress and anxiety of uncertainties become less overwhelming. Resiliencies to the challenging onslaughts from COVID-19 expand if viewed as opportunities—however unwelcome—for renewing your mind.