ADHD Adulting Autism Mental Health Neurodiversity

How to recover from neurodivergent burnout

How to recover from neurodivergent burnout

Introduction

Since neurodivergent people are living in a world that was designed by and for neurotypical people, we often have to spend more time and energy than others on a task because we’re forced to mask. Unfortunately, this also means that we are more likely to experience burnout. Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that can occur when the demands placed on us exceed our ability to meet them. But for us, it’s specifically known as neurodivergent burnout, because it is a result of the ways we have to mask to be able to survive in this world that ultimately marginalizes us. Very recently, I hit the rockiest bottom of neurodivergent burnout–and I’m still finding my way back out. But I want to share the things that I’m doing to recover from neurodivergent burnout with you, in the hopes that you may have some ideas to draw on if you ever find yourself in the sharp pit of despair.

What causes neurodivergent burnout and how to tell if you’re experiencing it?

While burnout can be caused by a number of things, research has shown that neurodivergent burnout is often the result of masking and navigating a world that does not accommodate us or minimizes our need for care. It’s important to remember that not everyone who experiences neurodivergent burnout has the same experience or causal factors – some people may be able to identify more than one cause, while others may find they only have one.

 

If you’re experiencing burnout, it’s likely to be a result of an accumulation of symptoms. Burnout is not the same thing as depression or anxiety, but there are some similarities between the two conditions.

Symptoms of burnout can include:

  • An overwhelming sense of physical exhaustion
  • Being unable to concentrate on activities that used to bring you pleasure (such as reading a book or watching television).
  • Feeling tired even though you haven’t done much physically taxing work lately.
  • Feeling unmotivated and apathetic toward your interests and hobbies.
  • Having difficulty sleeping through the night because you keep thinking about things during the day until they become an intrusive thought pattern that disrupts your sleep cycle.

How to recover from neurodivergent burnout

As with anything regarding neurodiversity, the process to recover from neurodivergent burnout is different for each person. And, most importantly, it is a process. It’s easy to rush through the recovery in a world that determines our value based on our productivity. But, you need to take it slow and heal from the inside out. In some cases, you might just find that budgeting in some recovery time as a form of self-care is enough to stave off burnout. However, when you’re dealing with prolonged burnout because you had no other choice–you might have to do what I did and start taking a serious look at how you’re being forced to live. Since a lot of my burnout is because of my “day job”, I can’t fully remove myself from the situation until I’m able to find a replacement job. But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t deserve care or to look after myself until I can get to a safer place of work. Based on that, here are some tips for helping you recover from neurodivergent burnout—or at least manage it until you can get access to accommodation or remove yourself from the unsafe environment:

#1. Limit screen time.

First and foremost, you need to limit your screen time. As an ADHDer, I find that when I’m experiencing neurodivergent burnout. I get so engrossed in social media and doomscrolling to make sure I don’t miss anything. But, when I am intentional about how much time I spend on social media, I can recover better because it feels like I can actually shut my brain off–even for a little while when I get into the meditative practice of crocheting or washing my plants’ leaves instead.

Limit yourself to two hours of screen time per day. And no, that doesn’t mean watching one episode of Game of Thrones during lunch break (or binge-watching Stranger Things in the middle of the night). It means limiting yourself to two full hours total for all devices combined (including cell phones). That’s it! No more! Get rid of Facebook notifications on your phone; turn off push notifications for Twitter and Instagram; stop checking your email every five minutes; set aside specific times each day when only work gets done online—and then stick to those self-imposed rules.

#2. Get plenty of sleep.

Sleep is, in many ways, the ultimate recovery tool. It’s when your brain recharges, repairs itself and helps you make sense of the day’s experiences.

But, getting enough sleep isn’t always easy for everyone, especially when you’re trying to reconcile living in a neurotypical world. I know I find myself playing over the events of the day and all the different ways people may have perceived me. What I’ve started doing again, which my mom used to encourage me to do when I was younger because that’s what her mother told her–and what new-age practices may even call a releasing ritual now–is writing down what is bothering me in the most succinct way I possibly can. If it helps to process some of the events from the day, maybe keep a journal by your bedside to write down any thoughts you’re ruminating over. Then from there, you can see if there’s a theme that arises that isn’t honoring yourself.

So, for me, I wrote ruminating over how I did not conform to neurotypical behaviors on a piece of paper. When you’re done, walk over to the bathroom and put the piece of paper in the toilet with the intention of letting it go. Make sure you flush! See if you sleep a little better. If not, maybe the activity isn’t for you–which is absolutely fine!

#3. Make sure you’re eating nutrient-dense foods and hydrating appropriately.

The thing I first noticed when I was experiencing burnout a few months ago was that I became ill with a urinary tract infection (UTI) because I was so dehydrated. Similarly, I my nutrient intake would significantly decrease. I either wouldn’t remember to eat, or I just couldn’t be bothered to make food because of how much effort it would take when I was finally hungry.

When I noticed these things, I made the intentional decision to always keep a water bottle in my line of sight. If I looked up at it, I had to take a drink. If I took the last sip, I had to go and fill it up. That’s it.

When it came to food, it was a bit harder. Particularly because finding ‘easy foods’ that you didn’t have to do a lot of decision-making which was also nutrient dense isn’t easy. So, I made sure to get ready-made protein shakes, keep fruit around that would just need peeling or cutting, some veg that can just be picked at, and convenience foods like quick oatmeal or breakfast bars for when I got bored and wanted something different–but still didn’t have the energy to put too much thought into it. I made it as simple as I could for myself.

It’s important to acknowledge that this isn’t sustainable for your body because you might not get all the nutrients you need. Or maybe you’ll just get bored of it in the long-run. But, the goal isn’t to be productively better. In fact, that will likely keep you in this state of burnout for a lot longer.

The goal is to just make sure that your body’s physical needs are being met as best as it possibly could be while tending to your body’s emotional needs. And, maybe a bit of your spirit’s needs, too. If you believe in that sort of thing. So do what you can and what makes you feel good–even if that means doing the bare minimum for the time being.

#4. Tend to your sensory and unmasked needs.

Considering that we’re experiencing burnout because we’re masking and forced to accommodate an unaccommodating world—it makes sense that the single best thing we could do for ourselves is to just let us be. If that means wearing noise-cancelling headphones and just allowing yourself to sit alone in a room with ambient lighting—do that. If it means listening to loud music and jumping around to get the jitters out, do that. Whatever it is that you find restorative that feels good for you, spend time doing it because you deserve to take the mask off.

 

Conclusion

If you found this article helpful, please take the time to share it with other neurodivergent folks who might be experiencing burnout. We hope we’ve provided some useful information that could help people recover from their own cases of burnout and get back to doing what they love. Remember, if you’re feeling burned out, it’s important to take some time off. You don’t have to be a superhero—in fact, you can’t be one! Take care of yourself and get the restorative deep rest you need. Also, if you think you might benefit from some coaching or support to reframe the way you navigate the world, consider scheduling a free 20 minute discovery call with Danielle to see if coaching might be right for you.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recommended Articles