What Neurodivergent Burnout Really Feels Like
It’s More Than Just “I’m Tired”
There’s tired. Then there’s “the lights are on but no one’s home” tired.
Neurodivergent burnout isn’t just needing a nap or taking a mental health day. It’s the slow, creeping exhaustion that builds from masking, over-functioning, people-pleasing, and trying to be “normal” in a world that wasn’t built for your brain.
This isn’t just exhaustion – it’s a shutdown. And if you’ve hit that wall and thought, “Why am I like this?” – you’re not alone. You’re probably just burnt the hell out.
WHAT NEURODIVERGENT BURNOUT ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE
- Your Brain Stops Braining
You open a tab. Then another. Then forget what you were doing. Executive dysfunction becomes your default. Even basic tasks like texting someone back feel monumental. - Everything Feels Loud – Even Silence
Your senses are overstimulated. Or under stimulated. Or both? Either way, you want to scream and hide at the same time. - Your Emotions Are… Missing or Exploding
You either feel nothing or everything, all at once. Crying over a sock being inside out? Check. Dissociating through a meeting without realizing you were even in it? Also check. - You Start Avoiding Literally Everything
Work. People. Messages. Meals. Life. You cancel plans you were excited about because even joy feels like work. - The Mask Won’t Stay On
That polished version of you that pretends to have it all together? She’s glitching. You snap at people, forget small talk, or go completely nonverbal. You’re out of spoons. Hell, you’re out of the drawer.
WHY THIS BURNOUT HITS DIFFERENT
If you’re neurodivergent (ADHD, autistic, sensory-sensitive, or some spicy combo of all three), you likely:
- Mask daily to “pass” as functional
- Work harder to meet expectations others skate through
- Don’t always recognize your limits until you’ve crashed
So this isn’t just “I need a break.” It’s “my entire nervous system is shutting down and I don’t know how to stop it.”
And the worst part? Rest doesn’t feel like rest. You lie down and feel guilty. You take a day off andspiral. You “do nothing” and still feel like a failure.
HOW TO START RECOVERING (WITHOUT FIXING EVERYTHING)
- Drop the Mask – Even a Little
Pick one place you can be your actual self. Messy. Quiet. Stimmed out. Honest. Even if it’s just your bedroom or your Notes app. That’s a start. - Micro Dose Joy
Forget “self-care” spa days. Try a 3-minute playlist. Sit in the sun. Watch a trashy show that requires zero brainpower. You need tiny hits of serotonin to rebuild. - Let Go of the “Productivity Hangover”
Burnout recovery is not a performance. If your brain is telling you, “You should be doing more,” remind it: healing counts as doing something. - Create a No-Expectations Zone
Pick one hour (or 15 minutes) a day where you expect nothing of yourself. No goals. No output. Just existing. It feels weird at first. Do it anyway. - Say No Before You’re Desperate
Don’t wait until you’re rage-quitting group chats or fake-sicking out of everything. Start saying no now – even to “fun” things – if your nervous system says nope.
A NOTE IF YOU FEEL BROKEN
You’re not lazy. You’re not flaky. You’re not bad at life.
This isn’t about fixing yourself – it’s about unlearning the lies that said you had to earn rest. That your worth is tied to output. That asking for help is weakness.
You are allowed to fall apart and be healing.
CLOSING THOUGHT: IT’S OK TO UNPLUG
Neurodivergent burnout recovery isn’t linear. Some days you’ll feel amazing. Other days you’ll cry over dropping a spoon. That doesn’t mean you’re back at zero.
It means you’re human. It means you’re aware. It means you’re healing.
And healing? That’s the bravest damn thing you can do.
By: Jess E
