By: Julia D’Addurno, Registered Psychotherapist

In the fast-paced society we live in, executive function plays an important role in managing daily tasks and staying on track towards achieving our personal goals, since they are key to managing and regulating our thoughts and behaviour. For people with ADHD, challenges in executive function can significantly affect our quality of life, our relationships, and our sense of self-efficacy when it comes to productivity and overall well-being.

Finding individualized resources and strategies for supporting these cognitive processes is so important.

ADHD may be one of the most misunderstood (and also poorly named) diagnoses we have today. As we gain a deeper understanding of ADHD, it becomes more apparent that a more accurate name would be one that reflects the executive challenges that come with it. It’s not that ADHD brains have lower executive function, but ADHD makes it more difficult to access higher cognitive processes in a consistent and reliable way since these functions rely on dopamine to perform these functions.

If you have ADHD, you may likely also struggle with some of these key cognitive processes which include:

All executive functions are interconnected and complex, relying on each other, which means we must be able to recognize and support them effectively. It can be helpful to break down these functions, understand them and name them so we can recognize and track our symptoms and challenges as they come up in our daily lives, and apply the specific tools needed.

When you struggle with any of the above functions this can leave you with a feeling of overwhelm and a sense that you are over your capacity on a daily basis. This can create more stress and even further impact functioning and well-being. This can often lead to emotional dysregulation and at times can even lead to shutting down from overwhelm or what we refer to as “analysis paralysis.”

In my experience with working with ADHD clients a lot of the time they come into therapy and express their goal is to work on these executive function difficulties. One of the biggest misconceptions about treating ADHD is that we focus on becoming better at the things we’re not as good at.  We can definitely learn and build new skills in therapy to help manage these difficulties.

Emotional regulation and communication skills, for example, are important to learn and apply in daily life. However, the executive dysfunction pathways activated in that case (or not sufficiently activated as it were), cannot be easily resolved through skills training alone. A lot of what we do when we’re working with an ADHD brain is bringing awareness to its unique needs, identifying supportive resources and people, and asking for help, recognizing your individual capacity, and creating systems that support its processes through environmental changes and offloading.

We know ADHD presents differently in everyone, and we always find variations in adaptations in executive functioning. These are the ways the brain has adapted and functioned really well in some areas. A lot of working with ADHD is identifying the strengths you already have and being resourceful about taking the pressure off your brains executive functions that are harder.

This means externalizing, automating, delegating and outsourcing support. 

Enter artificial intelligence (AI). 

AI technology has rapidly evolved in the last few years and has offered various ways to streamline processes and offer personalized solutions tailored to individual needs. This technology can be a real game changer for neurodivergent brains by assisting with everyday challenges especially those that require consistent executive function.

From virtual assistant tools like Siri and Alexa who can help manage tasks, set reminders, and provide information quickly making it easier to stay organized and focused. To smart calendars and generative AI, there are so many ways of leveraging this new technology. We can even have ongoing conversations and brainstorm with AI chatbots through ChatGPT.

Reducing cognitive load and the ole ‘buffering’ time

Not only can AI get us information and answers fast, but it cuts the time of sifting through google, ads, blogs and going down rabbit holes (if you know, you know!) Using AI helps keep things focused on the task at hand since you don’t have to go onto multiple websites where you’re likely to get distracted by something else. It can provide a safe way to explore and question without judgement and provide multiple ways of approaching more complex topics giving you personalized explanations to adapt to different learning styles.

The ways to use AI are endless but here are some resources, tools and prompts with AI features that our team has collected that may help address your specific executive challenges (note: some may require purchase or subscription).

Time management 

• Reclaim.AI for Google calendar: a smart calendar system for google calendar that helps schedule events, set reminders, and manage appointments by finding the best time in your schedule
• Clockify: a time-tracking application that provides insights into how much time is spent on your projects and tasks and helps prioritize your tasks effectively 
• ChatGPT prompt: Help me estimate how long (name specific task) may take to give me an idea of how much time to allocate towards it. 
• ChatGPT prompt: Suggest how I should organize my time around these items on my to-do list and time block them for me.

Impulse inhibition

• Forest – This app promotes focus and reduces phone temptations by planting a virtual tree that grows as users stay on task without distractions.
• StayFocused – this app limits time spent on distracting websites, helping users resist temptations and avoid procrastinating by blocking applications and websites and unlocking productivity
• ChatGPT prompt: What can I do in the moment when I feel an impulse coming on?

Working memory 

• Todoist – a task management app that helps users create, organize, and prioritize tasks, unloading the burden of remembering what needs to get done.
• ChatGPT prompt: Summarize or condense (input information) so that it is easier to absorb and remember.

Cognitive flexibility 

• ChatGPT can provide alternative solutions or approaches to a problem helping you think about them differently and avoid black/white thinking about a problem. ChatGPT can help you mind map and brainstorm to help you see connections between things and encourage creative thinking.
• Khan Academy – a personalized learning resource and educational platform for all ages that adjusts content based on user performance, helping learners adapt their strategies and approaches to different subjects and skills.

Organization/Planning/prioritization:

• Notion – an app that helps organize notes, tasks, and projects
• ChatGPT prompt: create a study plan, exercise/fitness plan, meal plan and corresponding grocery list etc.
• ChatGPT prompt: provide a list of 5 or fewer steps to organizing a room in your house
• ChatGPT prompt: Ask ChatGPT to help you organize your day, create a to-do list, and help assess urgency to help you prioritize what to do first ex. Prompt: What should I include in my morning routine to set a productive tone for the day? What can I include in an evening routine to prepare for the next day?

Tip: try using Christina’s chatGPT prompt for managing a busy schedule: “Please provide me a two-week schedule with adequate time to complete these tasks (list tasks out) that also gives me downtime and will help prevent future burnout”

Self-monitoring 

• Finch – an app that promotes self-care by using external accountability through the nurturing of a virtual pet 
• Habitica – a habit building app that gamifies task completion and encourages users to track and improve their habits 
• ChatGPT prompt: provide me breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas/options using ingredients in my fridge. A more specific to you prompt could be: provide some recipes with ingredients I have to make a high protein meal for dopamine regulation.

Emotional regulation 

AI can aid emotional regulation by prompting a mindful pause, allowing time to recognize and understand your feelings and engage in rational thinking.

• If you receive a message or email that is triggering, before reacting you can ask ChatGPT to help you respond in a less reactive way. For example: Can you help me compose a thoughtful and calm response to this text message? (Insert text message)
• Ask for suggestions on how to have a tough conversation with a loved one in your life.
• Ask ChatGPT to help brainstorm self-care ideas based on what you’re feeling ex. Prompt: provide me a list of activities I can engage in when feeling overwhelmed about school.

Goal-directed persistence

• Ask ChatGPT to help you reach your financial goals by helping you create a budget plan
• Ask ChatGPT to suggest resources, articles, videos, or courses tailored to your goals to help you achieve them
• Ask ChatGPT to break down your goals and provide more manageable steps and actions

Tip: Use Erika’s prompt with chatGPT to visualize your ideal future aligned with your values, then ask it to help create a goal-oriented routine. Prompt: “create a story of a day in the life that incorporates all my values and dreams (list values and goals). Develop a routine based on this story”

Task initiation 

• Ask ChatGPT to break down a task from your to-do list into small chunks making it more manageable. Ask it to create a checklist for bigger projects or ask for the first step of a task to get the ball rolling and make it seem less daunting and more manageable
• Ask ChatGPT to help you reframe a boring task or make it more exciting/into a game, turning chores into a challenge
• Ask to break down a task for you in steps – cleaning the house, making a meal, etc
• Ask for scripts, templates for emails, messages, or anything you may be putting off

Tip: Try using Mitch’s tip to get the most out of your prompts: ask ChatGPT to act as a developer and improve your prompt to achieve whatever goals you have and then ask it to suggest questions for clarification to further improve the prompt before you use it.

Goblin Tools is a FREE AI website designed with neurodivergent brains in mind. It offers a group of single-task tools aimed at supporting various executive functions. These tools help break down tasks, convert scrambled disorganized thoughts into words, assess tone for effective communication, estimate time for activities, provide relevant information, evaluate decisions, and transform brain dumps into actionable steps and tasks. It has been a big support for many of our clients! (Not a sponsored plug, we really just love it!)

Tip: make any AI tools like ChatGPT or goblin tools your homepage so it’s always in sight and easily accessible when you need to use it!

Remember that these are just some of the resources AI is offering to help make our lives less stressful. There are many other prompts and ways to use this technology. Any time you feel stuck on something this might be a good time to try to use it to assist you. This technology is rapidly expanding and evolving, and there are endless ways to utilize it and leverage it so that we can focus our energy on the things that matter most. 

Some considerations:

I can imagine as an ADHDer, seeing all these new apps and tools you might be feeling very excited or maybe even overwhelmed… So many decisions! Before knowing what you may want to invest time and even money on, it may be important to start with really knowing your strengths and weaker areas. (A therapist/coach can help you!) We can truly see progress when we create systems that support and relieve the strain on our executive functions. This is all about intention and self-awareness to provide the insight needed to create successful systems.

Using AI is a great tool but it is better to avoid using AI to come up with ideas and instead use your creativity (an ADHD strength) to do that and leave it to AI to help organize your own ideas or establish a plan to accomplish these goals and ideas.

The most impressive feature of AI is its ability to process information faster than our own brains through prompts. Use it to provide templates, plans, and steps, so that the next move is clear and specific for you. This can help relieve so much of the overwhelm that can come from having so much on your mind at once. It can help avoid rumination, doubting yourself, and over analyzing.

A few caveats

It could be important to be careful of developing an over-reliance on technology. We don’t want to hinder our natural task management and problem-solving skills. Just like any other muscle, the brain needs to be exercised to be strengthened and maintained. You may also want to avoid using AI to make more complex judgement calls, but you can ask it to help you weigh in on decisions for example.

Other considerations when using AI and apps are to be cautious of data privacy concerns. Since many applications require user’s personal data this information can be vulnerable to unauthorized access or breaches if the app does not take adequate security measures. To ensure your privacy is protected, consider limiting the amount of sensitive data you share. It’s also important to remember that ChatGPT is not always accurate and may be biased and out of date in some circumstances so it’s always important to fact check and be critical of the responses you get.

As always, a reminder: We know that nothing takes the place of our loved ones and community, so remember to also lean on those support systems in your life. AI can be a supplementary tool to clear some of that everyday clutter and make room for your amazing brain to do what it does best. You can think of it as more of a virtual assistant rather than replacing the support of a therapist, coach, friend, or colleague. AI is not a replacement for human support systems. 

Summary

As we navigate the constant demands of daily life, especially for neurodivergent brains living in a neurotypical world, the integration of AI tools offers a way to offload cognitive burdens and streamline tasks, giving you a sense of control and clarity. When you are neurodivergent you can easily fall into the trap of believing you need to do things in a conventional way even if it doesn’t work for you because maybe you see others do it in those ways. This can leave you internalizing the difficulties you have as personal shortcomings or failures.

By embracing this technology and using tools created with neurodivergent brains in mind, you can curate your environments to best support focus, organization and productivity therefore unlocking full potential of reaching your goals and leaving space for acceptance and love towards your amazing brain!

TL;DR: This article explores how executive function plays a crucial role in goal-setting and daily life, particularly for individuals with ADHD, who often struggle with cognitive processes like time management, impulse control, and organization. ADHD isn't a lack of executive function but rather difficulty accessing these functions consistently due to dopamine regulation challenges.

To support executive function, therapy focuses not just on skill-building but also on creating external systems that reduce cognitive load, such as automating, delegating, and restructuring environments. AI technology is emerging as a game-changer for neurodivergent individuals, offering personalized tools like smart calendars, task organizers, virtual assistants, and AI-powered prompts to assist with planning, prioritization, emotional regulation, and task initiation.

The article provides a curated list of AI-based resources and strategies to help ADHD brains work with their strengths rather than forcing traditional productivity methods. However, it cautions against over-reliance on AI, emphasizing the importance of maintaining human connections and balancing technological support with self-awareness, creativity, and critical thinking.

References:

Dolan, E. (2024, February 13). Catastrophic effects: Can AI turn us into imbeciles? This scientist’s fears for the worst. PsyPost. https://www.psypost.org/catastrophic-effects-can-ai-turn-us-into-imbeciles-this-scientists-fears-for-the-worst/

NeuroLeadership Institute. (n.d.). A brain-friendly guide to using AI at work. NeuroLeadership Institute. https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/a-brain-friendly-guide-to-using-ai-at-work

Tuckman, A (2023, February 13). You can’t train away ADHD executive dysfunction. Additude. https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-executive-dysfunction-how-to-be-more-productive-consistent/