I have a friend with ADHD who is struggling with burnout at work right now, and I realized the same thing has happened to me (autism) at pretty much every job I’ve had before my current one. After a while (a few months to a few years) the workplace politics becomes unbearable, or culture becomes too toxic, or managers straight up ignore our feedback.
So what do you do to prevent emotional burnout at work? Or have you found a job that doesn’t burn you out?
Edit: Y’all, your responses are making me want to create a neurodivergent commune where we just do whatever we want.
FWIW I think the majority of people struggle with mental and physical health working 40/hr a week in earnest. It’s not sustainable and I wish we’d stop pretending like it is just because it’s less heinous than what predated it.
From what I understand, most employ various strategies to avoid literally working for 40 hours. The jobs that aren’t conducive to this (cough cough Amazon delivery and warehouse) are especially barbaric.
If you’re neurodivergent it’s much harder to retain a job in virtue of likability/social connections so you’re more likely to have to put your nose to the grindstone to get by.
Humans should not be coerced to sell all of the concentrated effort/time they get in a week (and then some) just to survive.
I’m neurodivergent (ADHD, dysthymia, panic disorder). My job is not physical, but I have very few ways of minimizing my work; I teach 3-4 two hour tutoring sessions to multiple students at once, 5 days a week. My boss and coworkers are very supportive, but the job can still be absolutely brutal, and I find myself coping with burnout often. Half the time, I don’t even have the energy to interact with my friends because I’m so drained from work.
The sad part is that this is STILL the “easiest” job I’ve ever had.