Burnout

What's the deal with

Burnout

and ADHD?

Burnout is a feeling of exhaustion caused by prolonged or chronic stress from work, stress, focus, and/or responsibilities. It can include mental, emotional, and/or physical fatigue. While it might feel like depression, burnout is more situational. You can pinpoint specific parts of your life that are directly related to your exhaustion.

For individuals with ADHD, the risk of experiencing burnout can be particularly high due to the ongoing challenges of managing ADHD symptoms, coupled with the often increased effort required to meet daily demands. They often try harder than others to keep up, fit in, and meet expectations (see Masking). ADHDers may also hyperfocus on something and not realize how much energy they are exerting. If prioritizing is a challenge, an ADHDer might add many things to their plate and suffer from burnout as well.

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According to ADDA, up to 93% of adults with ADHD experience burnout symptoms, which is more than five times higher than the 30% of the general population who experience burnout.

What it looks like:

Burnout could mistakenly be labeled as depression or being lazy. Here’s what you might notice if you are in burnout:

Extreme fatigue or exhaustion, both physical and mental
Increased difficulty in managing ADHD symptoms
Heightened emotional sensitivity or irritability
Decreased productivity or inability to complete tasks
Increased anxiety or depression symptoms
Physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, muscle pain, jaw pain or sleep disturbance
Feelings of overwhelm or being unable to cope with daily demands
Withdrawal from social interactions or responsibilities
Cynicism or negative attitudes towards work or daily life
Lack of empathy for others
Increased difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Feeling constantly tired, no matter how much you sleep
Increased impulsivity or risk-taking behaviors
Neglect of self-care or personal needs
Persistent irritability, frustration, or anger that may or may not have an identifiable source
Loss of motivation or interest in previously enjoyable activities

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The science:

Brain activity
- The amygdala is a brain region involved in emotional control, and is especially important for emotions related to survival, such as fear. Some studies show people with ADHD have heightened activity in the amygdala. In burnout, your brain is largely utilizing this part of the brain.
- The prefrontal cortex is a brain region that controls functions like decision-making, planning, thinking rationally, and perspective. This part of the brain may be underactive in people with ADHD. When in burnout, the brain is in “survival mode,” which decreases activity in the prefrontal cortex even more.
Executive function strain: Executive functions are mental skills we need in order to manage everyday tasks. People with ADHD often have deficits in executive functioning. Constant effort to compensate for executive function deficits can lead to mental fatigue.
Emotional Dysregulation: ADHD also involves challenges with emotional regulation. Emotions tend to be more intense, and may last longer, for people with ADHD. Challenges in managing emotions can increase stress and contribute to burnout.

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References:

https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-recover-from-burnout-women-adhd/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6bqMASijK8

https://hbr.org/2014/08/schedule-a-15-minute-break-before-you-burn-out

https://medvidi.com/blog/adhd-burnout

ADHD Burnout Recovery

What you can do:

It’s so important to address the symptoms of burnout, and more importantly, the cause of the burnout. Imagine you have a fever of 103. You would probably stop everything and crawl into bed. Treat burnout like you have the flu. You need TLC with a big dose of rest. Avoiding the rest part of recovery will result in an incomplete stress cycle. Which means that stress stays with you.

First, take a break. Allow your brain and nervous system to heal enough to connect to the front part of your brain. The longer the better, but any amount of time will help. If it’s a shorter amount of time, do it regularly. This calming of your brain and nervous system will allow you to make some (maybe tough) decisions, and it’s immediate relief of the burnout.

Next, get curious about your burnout. Maybe you’re okay with a season of extra intense work, but if it’s continuous, without an end in sight, it’s worth examining what you need to reduce the cause of your burnout. Questions you can ask yourself:

What is creating stress, overwhelm, and exhaustion in your life? Is it short-term or long-term?
What do you do when you are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted? Push through? Hide? Get angry?
Has anyone else noticed your burnout? What are they concerned about?

Then, consider what could help reduce burnout in the future. These could be small or large changes. The best plan is the one that’s sustainable.

What can bring more balance to your life? What do you want to do more? What do you want to do less?
What boundaries would help maintain a burnout-free life?
How can you take care of yourself regularly, especially in stressful seasons?

Things you can do to for self-care to prevent and/or heal from burnout:

Develop a stress management toolkit: Identify specific strategies that help you cope with stress and use them proactively.
Implement regular breaks: Take several small breaks throughout your day. Time blocking methods like the Pomodoro technique can help you build structured breaks into your schedule.
Practice mindfulness: Regular mindfulness or meditation can help manage stress and improve emotional regulation.
Journal: Journaling is incredibly helpful for externalizing emotions and stressors.
Exercise: While difficult when you’re already feeling exhausted, exercise is scientifically proven to improve mood and alleviate stress and fatigue. It also helps boost dopamine, which is crucial for emotional regulation. Even short, low-intensity exercise is helpful.
Set boundaries: Learn to say no to additional commitments when you're approaching your limit.
Delegate: If your plate is too full, re-examine your commitments. For those you are unable to eliminate, see if you can delegate some to others. Even if all you can do is delegate small pieces of the tasks, it will still help.
Seek support: Connect with a therapist, ADHD coach, or support group to discuss your challenges
Consider a change: If your current job or lifestyle is consistently leading to burnout, it may be time to consider significant changes.

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Go deeper:

Fight the Fatigue of ADHD Burnout

Conquering Decision Fatigue

Breaking Free From the ADHD Productivity Trap

Lateness

Working Memory

Hyperactivity

Decision-Making

ADHD coaching

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