What is ‘executive dysfunction’ and how do you overcome it?

Difficulty starting and getting overwhelmed by tasks are a few signs of it. We asked experts for tips on mitigating it

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n an ultra-viral TikTok video, a woman lies on her couch. “I’m tired. I should shower so it’ll wake me up; if I shower, I should exercise first so I don’t have to shower twice,” intones the voiceover. “If I’m going to exercise, I should eat first; if I’m going to cook, I should have coffee first so I have energy to cook,” it continues. The video – which has almost 5m views – bears the caption: “What executive dysfunction looks like.”

Hundreds of videos have circulated through social media, pinning people’s various struggles on “executive dysfunction”. Each video follows similar themes: showing people failing to initiate tasks, growing overwhelmed by household chores or theorizing why they’re never on time.

But what is executive dysfunction? Why do people experience it, and what can be done to mitigate it? Additionally, what is executive function? We asked experts to explain.