Executive Dysfunction in Uncertain Times: Why Focus Is So Hard Right Now
If focusing feels harder than it used to, you’re not imagining it.
Tasks feel heavier. Decision-making takes more effort. Things you care about still sit untouched on your to-do list. You may even find yourself thinking, Why can’t I just do this anymore?
For many people right now, this isn’t a motivation problem. It’s an executive functioning problem—and it’s deeply connected to the uncertainty of the world we’re living in.
We are navigating ongoing global conflict, political tension, economic instability, and a constant stream of information that keeps our nervous systems on alert. Even when we’re not actively anxious, our brains are working overtime behind the scenes. And when that happens, executive functioning is often the first thing to suffer.
What Executive Functioning Really Is
Executive functioning isn’t about discipline or willpower. It’s a set of mental skills that help us:
Start tasks
Plan and prioritize
Hold information in mind
Regulate emotions
Stay focused and follow through
These skills rely on mental bandwidth. When bandwidth is available, executive functioning feels almost invisible. When it’s depleted, everything feels harder—even basic tasks.
This is important: executive functioning is a capacity, not a character trait. And capacity changes depending on context.
Why Focus Is So Hard During Uncertain Times
When the world feels unpredictable, the brain shifts into survival mode.
Ongoing stress—whether from global conflict, political unrest, financial pressure, or constant exposure to distressing news—signals to the nervous system that it needs to stay alert. The brain begins scanning for threat, even if that threat isn’t immediate or personal.
In this state:
Working memory shrinks
Decision-making becomes exhausting
Task initiation drops
Everything feels more urgent and more overwhelming
You don’t need to feel panicked for this to be happening. Chronic uncertainty alone is enough to tax the system.
Our brains weren’t designed to process this much instability while still functioning at full cognitive capacity. Something has to give—and often, it’s focus.
“But I’m Not Even That Anxious”
This is something I hear all the time.
Stress doesn’t always look like panic or spiraling thoughts. Often, it shows up as:
Procrastination
Avoidance
Numbness
Excessive scrolling
Mental shutdown
Especially for high-functioning people, stress can live quietly in the background while they continue showing up for work, family, and responsibilities. Outwardly, things look fine. Internally, everything takes more effort than it used to.
Many people are functioning—but at a much higher cost.
Why Neurodivergent Brains Feel This Even More
For individuals with ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent traits, executive functioning already requires more intentional support.
Add prolonged stress or uncertainty, and the margin for error disappears.
Strategies that once worked—planners, routines, productivity systems—may suddenly stop helping. This can feel frightening or discouraging, especially if you’ve worked hard to build structure in the past.
This isn’t regression. It’s context.
When the environment changes, the supports need to change too.
What Actually Helps When Executive Functioning Is Strained
When focus is low, the instinct is often to push harder. But effort alone rarely restores capacity.
What helps instead is reducing the load and externalizing support:
Fewer decisions, fewer “shoulds”
Shorter timelines and smaller goals
External structure instead of relying on internal motivation
Regulation before productivity
Compassion instead of self-correction
This isn’t about lowering standards—it’s about adjusting expectations to match reality.
Support during high-stress seasons isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
A Final Reframe
If you’re struggling to focus right now, it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means your brain is responding appropriately to an uncertain world.
Executive dysfunction is not a moral failing. It’s information.
And with the right support, systems, and understanding, capacity can be rebuilt—without shame, pressure, or burnout.
This is the work I do with clients: helping them create systems that honor who they are and the world they’re living in right now.
You don’t need to become more disciplined.
You need environments, expectations, and support that make focus possible again.
