The Executive Function Podcast Getting Through the Slumps of Life, with EF Coach Carrie Bonnett, Ep 81
Mar 17, 2026
Carrie Bonnett, an executive function coach and educator who builds practical strategies for students and adults. She talks about predictable midterm slumps and normalizing good and bad brain days. They cover simple reset routines, creative capture methods like tiny notebooks, and starting tiny to build activation and momentum.
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Midterm Slumps Are Predictable Not Moral
- Midterm slumps are predictable dips in energy and consistency, not moral failings.
- Carrie Bonnett and Sarah Kesti describe a common pattern: strong start, novelty fades, small missing tasks accumulate into a stressful climb back out.
Reframe Struggles As Brain Not Character
- Reframing executive function struggles as a brain issue reduces shame and opens curiosity for solutions.
- Both coaches emphasize separating the brain from the person so students stop feeling morally judged.
Calm First Then Work
- Calm the nervous system before tackling piled-up work to make thinking and prioritizing possible.
- Practical calming moves: get a drink, snack, step outside, or other brief rituals to lower reactivity before starting tasks.
