It was 3 AM on a weeknight in 2021. I found myself staring at my computer screen, the glow illuminating my tear-stained cheeks. I had been working on my marketing for what felt like days, but the results just weren’t coming. As a neurodivergent, I am used to the highs of hyperfocus and the lows of executive dysfunction. But this? This felt different. This felt like… burnout.
If you’re a neurodivergent business owner like me, you might be all too familiar with this scenario. Our unique brains often lead us to push boundaries, think outside the box, and pour our hearts into our work. But sometimes, that same intensity can lead us straight into the arms of burnout.
The Neurodivergent Burnout: More Than Just Tired
Burnout for neurodivergents often looks different than what you might read about in mainstream articles. It’s not just about being tired or stressed. It’s a complex interplay of our unique cognitive styles and the demands of entrepreneurship.
Some signs you might be experiencing neurodivergent burnout include:
- Increased sensory sensitivities: Suddenly, every sound feels too loud, every light too bright.
- Masking fatigue: The energy it takes to “act neurotypical” becomes overwhelming.
- Intense brain fog: Your usually creative mind feels like it’s wading through molasses.
- Emotional dysregulation: You find yourself having more meltdowns or shutdowns than usual.
- Loss of special interests: The passions that usually drive your business no longer excite you.
For me, it was the realization that I hadn’t enjoyed any of my hobbies in weeks, like my beloved puzzle collection, that finally made me acknowledge my burnout.
Preventing Burnout: Building Neurodivergent-Friendly Business Practices
The good news? We can take steps to prevent burnout before it hits. Here are some strategies I have implemented in my business:
Embrace your natural rhythms: I realized that forcing myself to work a traditional 9-5 was fighting against my natural energy cycles. I switched to a more flexible schedule, working in intense bursts when my focus was high and taking breaks when it wasn’t.
Create a sensory-friendly workspace: I’ve invested in noise-canceling headphones, adjusted my lighting, and kept stim toys nearby to manage my sensory needs throughout the day.
Build in recovery time: After client calls or other high-masking activities, I schedule short breaks to decompress and be my authentic self.
Use visual systems: To combat executive function challenges, I have implemented a visual task management system. For me, a daily planner with a large font works. Others prefer a large whiteboard or digital tools like ClickUp, Trello, or Asana.
Delegate and automate: Recognizing that certain tasks consistently drain your energy, you can hire a virtual assistant to handle anything from email management, office-type work, social media management, and so on. I am not to the point where I need to delegate…yet. But I am aware that I will need this option someday.
Recovering from Burnout: A Neurodivergent Approach
But what if, like me, you’re already in the throes of burnout? Here’s the recovery plan I developed with my coach:
Community support: I reached out to other neurodivergent entrepreneurs, finding comfort and practical advice in shared experiences.
Radical rest: I took a complete break from work for a week, focusing on sleep, nutrition, and gentle movement.
Sensory diet: I created a daily routine of sensory activities that helped regulate my nervous system, including deep pressure stimulation and time in nature.
Reconnect with special interests: I slowly reintroduced my passion for puzzles, allowing my brain to engage in low-pressure, high-reward activities.
Reassess and restructure: Using my time away from the business, I identified the aspects of my work that consistently led to overwhelm and restructured my offerings to play to my strengths.
The Other Side of Burnout
Three months after my 3 AM breakdown, I found myself in a very different place. My business was thriving, not not in spite of my neurodivergence, but because of it. I have learned to work with my unique brain, not against it.
As I placed the final piece in a complex puzzle, I smiled. I realized that recovering from burnout was itself a puzzle – one that required understanding each unique piece of my neurodivergent experience and how it fits into the bigger picture of my life and business.
Burnout is not a sign of weakness or failure. It’s often the result of trying to fit our beautifully complex minds into a world not designed for us. By recognizing the unique signs of burnout, implementing preventative measures, and having a personalized recovery plan, we can navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship while honoring our neurodivergent needs.
Your journey might look different from mine, and that’s okay. The key is to listen to your unique mind and body, honor your needs, and build a business that works for you – not the other way around.
Are you ready to transform your relationship with work and redefine success on your own neurodivergent terms? Let’s embark on this journey together. Your brilliantly different brain deserves nothing less.
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