Burnout
It’s not uncommon for folks with ADHD to feel burnout.
Operating in a world built for neurotypicals—with our limited brain RAM and emotional dysregulation and time blindness—can be hard!
If you don’t manage your energy properly and follow your ADHD flow, you can find yourself empty.
Last year, Amy Hupe’s talk about burnout from State of the Browser came at the perfect time for me…
I was feeling really burnt out by the state of the industry and my business, and it was great to feel seen!
I also stumbled upon, and really enjoyed, Mandy Brown’s unified theory of fucks…
But I realize now that if you can give a fuck then you must also be able to receive. And that’s the key.
You cannot manufacture more fucks. You cannot grow them or graft them or transplant them. You absolutely cannot buy them, not from anywhere or anyone, not at any price. But you can receive them as a gift, you can accept them.
And in that way your collection of fucks to give can be renewed.
More recently, I discovered Karolina Szczur’s article on founder burnout…
This time, I couldn’t attribute it to the lack of sense of purpose or disillusionment with someone else’s leadership (which often are the main drivers). I had a high level of control and was finally working 100% true to my values. A dream, some might say. Yet I found myself:
- feeling worn out and depleted, no matter the amount of time off
- feeling overwhelmed, as if I couldn’t keep my head above water
- feeling hopeless, as if nothing I do matters or makes a difference
- being “empty” and disassociating
- unable to engage in activities during time off
- starting to fantasise about departing the company
The onset of burnout is gradual—it doesn’t happen overnight. Periodically, it would momentarily improve, but then come back crashing like a wave. What I found most insidious was that I was already using numerous strategies, both at personal and professional level, to prevent stress and burnout. It still found me.
In my experience, the best cure for burnout is lengthy time away.
A new focus. A period of unfocus, chasing whims. Big separation from whatever is causing the burnout.
In a capitalist society, that’s a privilege not many have. And it’s by no means a magic pill, either.
But if you can afford to, it might help.