Full PreFrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function
Welcome to the podcast,
Full PreFrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function hosted by Sucheta Kamath.
Executive Function is a core set of cognitive skills that allow humans to focus attention, block out distractions, plan ahead, stay engaged, temper emotions, and think flexibly while creatively solving problems to fulfill personal and social goals. The prefrontal cortex region of the brain, which governs Executive Function, is often compared to an air traffic control system at a busy airport. Much like an air traffic controller guides planes on different flight paths in the direction that each needs to go, the prefrontal cortex intercepts thoughts and impulses in order to direct them towards situationally appropriate and productive outcomes that serve the need of the future self.
Significant research in the field suggests that developing strong Executive Function is critical for school-aged children and remains one of the most reliable predictors of overall success, shown to have profound life-long implications beyond the formal years of learning. On this podcast, host Sucheta Kamath will converse with neuroscientists, social psychologists, learning experts, and thought leaders who will illustrate how Executive Function is inextricably linked with mental health, physical health, school readiness, job success, marital relationships, and much more.
On the path of self-development, we all experience a constant struggle between trying to optimize our talent and effort while still facing difficulty in mobilizing the inner tools and strategies that can lead us in the right direction. Tune in to
Full PreFrontal
to figure out how best to manage your thoughts, habits, and attitudes to enhance your self-awareness and future thinking and to achieve your best self.
Sucheta Kamath is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed a personalized digital learning curriculum/tool (ExQ®) that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence. Outside of her business, Sucheta previously served as President of the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association, where she started a free Social-Communication and Executive Function Training program for inner-city men afflicted with addiction and homelessness—a program she continues to oversee as a coach and a trainer today. She is also a long-time meditator and is currently working on her Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification. A firm believer in the “Pause, Reflect, and then Respond” philosophy, Sucheta hopes to spread the word on how every person can reach higher levels of self-awareness and achieve lasting growth of their Executive Function.
Full PreFrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function
Ep. 136: Holiday Rewind 2: 10 Takeaways from 100 Conversations on the Science of Learning
Randomly scattered stars light up the night sky, but it is human inventiveness and imagination that has connected these cosmic dots into the constellations we know so well. As the podcast Full PreFrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function celebrates its 100th episode, we have the same pleasure of connecting the scattered ideas that experts have shared with us over the past two years into a meaningful constellations of Executive Function concepts. We’ll explore these concepts and their impact on learning, education, self-efficacy, interpersonal connectivity, and the human story of personal progress.
Here are 10 lessons learned from 100 interviews with researchers, psychologists, neuroscientists, educators, authors, journalists, and thought leaders who believe that the power of the brain is a gift to us all – a gift we must take the time to unwrap with careful attention to details, mindfulness, and tremendous self-control.
10 Things Learned:
- At the heart of human evolution is the ability to inhibit, which means saying no to the impulsive thoughts, ideas, and desires that lead to actions that only benefit us in the now.
- Executive Function skills allow us to become intentional, reflective, and problem solvers. But in order to activate the prefrontal system that accomplishes this, we have to get off “autopilot.”
- Executive Function systems are brought online when we learn new things because novel information requires novel adaptive responses.
- The brain is the most advanced future simulator. It allows us to envision the future and provides us with the tools to imagine the self through the continuity of time. We must extend compassion towards that “future self” who is hopelessly dependent on the mercy of the current self.
- Student success depends largely on the mastery of Executive Function because academic skills including reading comprehension, completing projects, conducting research, and writing papers all requires highly engaged Executive Function skills.
- There are innumerable barriers in attaining self-actualization; primarily, our self-blindness. We are often erroneously guided by our false confidence in our ability to be rational, fair, and consistent.
- Executive Function skills are extremely critical for transitions as they help us with the adaptive adjustment needed as we exit one area of our life and enter another. But we are not always fully prepared to handle such adjustments with resilience and grace.
- Executive Function skills are directly related to the maturation of the brain—delayed development, brain injury, and aging all impact the growth of these skills, especially decision making, problem solving, and adaptive and emotional adjustment.
- While stress often feels undesirable, it turns on adaptive flexibility and engages Executive Function. Stress in small to moderate doses is an essential ingredient to sharpening our self-regulation and critical self-directed problem solving.
- The most hopeful message from experts is that Executive Function can be cultivated, nurtured, and strengthened through practice and coaching. These skills can be put to test with carefully crafted activities by parents and educators alike.
Even though life has many moving parts, including those that create utter chaos as well as those that bring sheer joy, this podcast hopes that you will find a message
