I recently saw a post on social media by an AuDHD creator which talked about the cycle of burnout and, oh wow, it hit hard.
As I continue to learn more about myself and how my brain works, I begin to realise how so many of the things that I do or think – things which I previously thought were simply part of the common human experience – are in fact a manifestation of my neurodivergence. No, everyone doesn’t do or think that…
And nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all
Del Amitri
The needle returns to the start of the song
And we all sing along like before
And we’ll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow
The gist of the post was that AuDHD can lead you to work at an unsustainable pace and cycle in/ out of neurodivergent burnout. It hit so hard because that has happened throughout my life and was certainly very evident for me last year; indeed, if I’m brutally honest with myself, a good chunk of 2025 was spent either in- or skirting round the edge of burnout.
When my ADHD takes the driving seat as the dominant neurotype (and there’s no predicting when that will be) I tend to go all-in with anything that piques my interest. My work can quickly become a hyperfocus, with the constant need for dopamine being satiated by the variety, complexity and urgency of my job.
At the time, it’s almost like a flow state. It can lead me to feel really driven and purposeful, almost manically unstoppable, but over the longer term it is blatantly unsustainable; as the post said, it is borrowing energy from the future.
Neurodivergent burnout will eventually hit. Not instantly but, rather, a gradual buildup that shows up for me with things like reduced creativity, enhanced sensory sensitivities, irritability and retreating in on myself to the extent that even the smallest demand such as responding to a text message can feel like I’ve been asked to crawl up a mountain.
By that point it’s too late. It requires me to slow down, to take the time that I need for myself. On paper that sounds relatively easy but it can be really hard to do with a brain that is constantly busy and in a world that values consistency, presence and productivity.
Whilst I am now aware of the cycle, I doubt that I will ever totally break it. However, understanding the constant push/ pull between my autism and my ADHD does allow me to be kinder to myself and my messy head.
You can read the original post by Ani Møller: AuDHD Leadership & Life Coach here.
