My job recently transitioned into a hybrid situation, meaning I only go into the office 3 days a week. This is great and I love being able to work from home twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays but I'm starting to notice some productivity problems. I'm great when I'm in the office but I find myself rudderless on the work-from-home days. If I'm not getting caught up running errands or doing housework, I'm sitting in front of my screen on Twitter letting hours pass by, having no work to show for it. This hybrid work model is still new for me but I'm afraid my trouble adjusting will fester into a real problem sooner or later. Any tips?

It sounds like you're having trouble in two areas: flexibly adapting to transitions in your work environment because it changes each day and establishing structure in your routine on the work-from-home days.

It can be difficult to transition back and forth during your week: Is this the day I need to bring a lunch? Is this the day when I can wear more casual attire? Is this the day I need to get up early? The key to managing these changes is preparation. Regardless of where you're working the next day, have an established routine the night before that starts you off on the right foot, including an alarm that gets you up at the same time each morning. Maybe you check the weather and plan your outfit, or prepare your snacks and a lunch, or check your calendar to note any meetings you'll be attending. This consistency will help the WFH days not seem so different and set you up for greater productivity because your brain is not struggling to process all the differences between WFH and going into your office. 

One of the quickest strategies you can implement on your WFH days to immediately give yourself a sense of structure is using a daily task calendar. Each morning, identify the work tasks you need to accomplish and allocate reasonable time frames to complete each of them. Essentially, you are planning your entire workday by "scheduling" all of your tasks. This strategy provides you with a clear agenda and lets you hold yourself accountable as you work through tasks.

Another solution for creating structure at home is to limit your distractions by treating WFH days the same as you would the days you're in the office. Keep the social media feed off-limits, resist house chores, and save errands for the evening when your workday is complete. These are all things you wouldn't be able to do from the office, so it's best to limit these activities during your home workday, too.

It's in your best interests to remember that working from home is still work. Create a work environment at home that mimics the structure of being in the office to hold yourself accountable and maximize productivity. Remember that it takes time to adjust and you won't seamlessly transition overnight. Implement these strategies and adjust your WFH mindset to see improvement over time.

Lately, I find myself having a short fuse in situations that normally wouldn't cause me to get upset. Just the other day, I couldn't find where I left my keys and I became so frustrated that I snapped at my wife. I apologized but I felt pretty bad about it. I think these heightened emotions have something to do with my stress from work as I have a large project I'm working on. Frankly, I've been pretty overwhelmed with managing all the elements of this project. I can tell my temper is starting to affect the people around me. Is something wrong with me?

I've recently graduated from college and have started to apply for jobs but I can't seem to stay focused and prioritize the job application process. I had similar issues throughout my college career, where I'd oftentimes miss classes, show up late, or forget to do assignments altogether. I was told these were executive function challenges, and I'm seeing these same challenges persist into my adult life. I think I may need an EF coach, but I've never seen any data or evidence backing up the work coaches claim to do. Why would I waste my time with coaching if there aren't any proven results?

I've been feeling depressed lately, partly because I'm overwhelmed at work, but mainly because I have a lot going on in my home life. My negative mental state has started to affect my organizational skills and my job performance and I'm worried that my boss will start to notice. I need help, but I'm not sure who the right professional for me is.

For the last few months, I've been feeling incredibly unmotivated. Work-related tasks, self-care, and even socializing have all suddenly become difficult to muster up the energy for. I don't think it's due to any mental health issue, but I worry that this lack of energy is hurting my confidence and future. What can I do to feel more motivated in my week? 

Firstly, I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope you also know how common your challenge is. Motivation is a constant struggle for so many adults - especially today in our digital environment. When it comes to getting motivated, the most important place to start is with expectations. Realistically, motivation is a finite resource and most of us can't wake up feeling driven every single day. Instead of relying on a fleeting, internal spark to make us productive, we should be finding ways to make our days more exciting and engaging in the first place. First, take a moment to consider the following questions:

I've been trying to make changes in my week to be more productive , but no matter how hard I try, I always seem to procrastinate on my goals. I've watched some videos and read up on ideas to stop, but a lot of the advice has been hard to implement. What strategies to overcome procrastination actually work? 

First of all, I hope you know how common this challenge is - of all the Executive Function challenges we experience, procrastination is easily the most widespread. Even the most successful people in the world struggle to initiate particularly difficult or "boring" tasks. The first step in overcoming procrastination is having the awareness that what you're currently doing isn't working, so congrats on already taking one step in the right direction. Here are the five strategies for overcoming procrastination that our coaches usually use with adults.