building core capabilities for life every day we take on the ordinary sometimes challenging tasks of work school parenting relationships and just managing our busy lives how do we navigate these tasks successfully and what can send us off course science offers an explanation we all need a set of core capabilities that we can develop with practice over time scientists call them executive function or self-regulation skills and they help us to focus on what's important to plan ahead set goals and meet them they help us deal with whatever life throws at us and still keep heading where
we need need to go they help us resist impulsive behaviors stop and change course when we need to no one is born with executive function skills but everyone can build them we build them through a lifetime of making connections within and among the regions of the brain our brains begin life with billions of neurons rapidly connecting to each other as we experience the world around us making trillions of Connections in just a few years early simple circuits form a foundation that more complex circuits and skills build on as we grow and have new experiences these
complex circuits built throughout childhood and Reaching Across vast regions of the brain make our core capabilities possible the more we use these connections the stronger and faster they become that's why practice is so important when we are children peekabo we practice these skills by playing games learning teamwork adjusting to new rules we continue to develop these skills in adolescence by managing school and other things like work sports music and relationships when we practice executive function skills circuits rapidly connect the prefrontal cortex to other parts of the brain these circuits act like an air traffic control
system in the brain they manage incoming information and help us respond with intention not on impulse threatening or stressful experiences activate different circuits and those trigger automatic responses fight flight or freeze we need automatic responses for survival but if stress is constant these automatic fight ORF flight circuits become stronger and faster than our more productive intentional circuits the ones we use for executive function and self-regulation for anyone under stress it's hard to call on intentional skills if we've been experiencing serious stress from our early years the stress caused by poverty violence or addiction a chaotic
environment it's even harder under lots of stress every day it's harder still the key is counterbalancing those automatic responses by building up our intentional ones by building strong executive function skills the good news is these core capabilities can be strengthened how by redesigning our systems so they reduce the sources of stress and people's lives by simplifying how services are provided to families helping them meet basic needs and building on strengths because small successes lead to bigger ones with less stress we can practice the skills we already have and build new circuits for the intentional responses
we need stronger brain circuits are built through practice in situations that matter that's true for children it's true for adolescents and it's true for adults helping children build skills gives them a strong foundation for all that comes later helping teens build their skills propels them into greater success as adults and parents and helping adult caregivers build their core capabilities ensures success at work stable homes and responsive relationships for the Next Generation when our communities work together to help children and adults build these skills we create a positive cycle as one generation passes them on to
the next and that helps us all
