Executive functions are a set of skills that every person needs on a day to day basis. They include, working memory, mental flexibility, and self control. There are many more but these are the ones I will be focussing on. In this essay I will be explaining some different skills, telling you when they start to develop, and how you can maybe improve your own executive function skills. Three of the main executive functioning skills are, working memory, mental flexibility, and self control are what we are going to explain in this paragraph. First, Working memory is the ability for a person to be able to retain distinct pieces of information over a short period of time. This is used in things like long and short term memory. Second, Mental flexibility allows us to switch or sustain attention in response to different demands or to apply in different settings. An example of this is rapidly switching between tasks, for instance cooking and reading with need vey different parks of the brain to be working. Lastly, self control enables us to set priorities and resist impulsive actions or responses. For example, if there was a piece of candy on a table and you where told not to eat it now and in a …show more content…
few minuets you would be given two. You being able to wait and not take the candy would be you using your self control. In this paragraph I will be explaining the range of when some of these brain functions start to be developed. The first is Working memory, this has its earliest signs at around the age of 3-4. This is the time then the child’s brain is just being able to start remembering things. Think about when your first memory was. Second, Mental flexibility, starts developing around the age that they go into elementary school. This means it starts to develop around the age of 5-6. Third, self control can take many years to fully develop, but is seen early as the ages of 4-6. Most of these skills stop developing at around the age of 20 when the brain stops growing. Though these numbers are all true it all depends on the person and his or her environment how long these skills will start and finish developing. Although your brain stops growing naturally at age 20, as with anything you can learn executive function skills.
There are many and studies that show you can have better executive skills with simple mind games and exercises. The internet is full of different exercises that show different ways to improve your executive functioning skills. One of these places is Center On The Developing Child at Harvard University. They have many lessons for teaching executive function skills to children from the ages of 3 months to late teens. Some of these are good even for people older that the ages given. Trying to do something is better than not, so you are better off trying to learn and failing than not trying and never learning. You will miss every shot you do not
take.