Executive function toolkit: Self-regulation

 

Researchers at Harvard say, ” Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.” These skills are essential for learning and working. Although different researchers identify different numbers of these skills, they all circle around being able to get things done without irritating to death the people around you. This month’s focus:

Impulse Control

Impulse control helps people think before acting. Many strategies and activities for learning these skills can be found online and in books. 

People with impulse control weaknesses often make purchases they cannot afford, blurt out inappropriate things, and engage in risky behavior.

Some examples of ways to help develop executive function skills around impulse control include:

·         Provide students with a “Wait 5” strategy–counting to five before verbally responding to an input, and a “Wait 3” in personal conversations to think before speaking in pairs or groups. Expand as a way to help with waiting. People can count things in the environment while waiting (sneakers you can see, ceiling tiles, people carrying a bag, etc.)

·         The “Stop, Think, Do” mantra.
This technique is also useful in anger management techniques.
This strategy can also help us with impulse behavior:

• Stop before you act
• Think about the consequences
• Do if it is ok to go ahead.

·         “If… Then” Scripts
Kids may get in trouble when they act impulsively when faced with difficult choices.
Self-instructions in the form of “if…then” or “when…then” can help them navigate risky situations.
For example, if you feel your child may be easily influenced to make a bad choice, you may rehearse an “If…Then…” script:
“If a friend offers me a cigarette, then I can say “No, thanks, I’m not into that”

“If I finish my homework, then I can play a video game.”

·         Activities that can help develop impulse control include sports, music and meditation.

·         Teach about budgeting and purchasing with cash- no more cash means no more buying. Instead of buying everything tweens need, give them a total they can spend and let them make choices- then make them live with their choices. If they need to do laundry every third day, so be it.

·         Confirm with children that humans CANNOT multitask. Studying requires an environment without distractions like music, social media or siblings. Parents need to help reinforce this. Parents also need to model this. Require that phones be away during meal times- no one checks them during meals. Use parental controls on phones to block school class time, study/homework time, and sleeping time. Having guardrails around specific activities can help develop good habits at other times.