Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that causes symptoms such as hyperactivity, attention deficit and impulsivity. People with ADHD might find it difficult to manage time, organise tasks and follow through on commitments, which can often lead to burnout.
ADHD burnout can be incredibly difficult to manage, especially when you don’t know the signs to look out for. Today, we’ll explore what ADHD burnout is, how to notice it and management strategies to make coping easier.
Spotting ADHD burnout
It’s common for people with ADHD to experience burnout, which is a state of exhaustion caused by chronic stress. This type of burnout can be mental or physical, materialising in the form of fatigue, demotivation and emotional response.
Knowing how to spot burnout is important when differentiating it from other conditions, such as depression. Both are treated differently, and knowing the difference can help you get the right treatment efficiently.
ADHD burnout symptoms
A person who’s recently experienced ADHD burnout might exhibit the following symptoms:
- Exhaustion: You might experience a strong sense of fatigue that can’t be alleviated or calmed by rest.
- Cynicism: You may feel disappointed or resentful with obligations that you used to enjoy.
- Lack of motivation: It’s common for people experiencing burnout to suddenly become unwilling to carry out obligations.
- Emotional exhaustion: You may feel detached from emotionally drained at the idea of things you used to find enjoyment in.
- Irritability: ADHD burnout might increase levels of frustration or irritation in everyday settings, especially for things you normally wouldn’t find distressing.
These symptoms often leave you feeling emotionally strained and burdened by the idea of working towards your goals. This can make it difficult to restart your responsibilities, contributing to a cycle of reduced productivity and high levels of stress.
For example, a person with ADHD might become hyper-focused on a creative project, such as writing a book or painting a large landscape. After working long hours without adequate breaks, they may experience symptoms of burnout. This prevents them from continuing their work and makes it more difficult to restart, prompting feelings of failure and disappointment.
How can you differentiate between ADHD burnout and depression?
Many people mistake ADHD burnout with depression as they share common attributes and symptoms. However, management strategies for these two conditions varies greatly, so it’s important to understand the differences:
- Stress vs. mood disorder: Burnout is usually a response to a prolonged period of stress, while depression is a deeper mood disorder.
- Physical symptoms: ADHD burnout’s main physical symptom is exhaustion from extended periods of stress, while depression can cause a wider range of symptoms, including appetite changes and inability to sleep.
- Generalised vs. situational focus: While burnout usually relates to specific stressful situations, depression tends to be more generalised.
Common causes of ADHD burnout
Burnout often isn’t triggered by just one thing. A number of events and stressors may play a part in contributing to your high stress levels, such as school, work, creative passions, relationships and more. If these things aren’t managed well, you may become overwhelmed with trying to keep up with the building demands.
If you’re experiencing ADHD burnout, consider whether you have:
- Poor time management: ADHD often distorts a person’s perception of time, leading to poor time management and higher levels of anxiety.
- Difficulty organising and prioritising tasks: Individuals with ADHD may struggle with organising, prioritising and completing tasks.
- A lack of boundaries: If you can’t set limits with work, hobbies or relationships, you’re more likely to experience burnout from a lack of downtime.
- Trouble focusing and retaining memories: People with ADHD may not be able to focus or remember things they did a short time ago, leading to needlessly repeated tasks.
- External stressors: These might include high-pressure work environments or personal relationships that overwhelm you and make you feel trapped.
- Emotional dysregulation: ADHD commonly causes intense or unpredictable emotional responses, which can negatively impact mental health.
Practical tips on managing ADHD burnout
ADHD is a broad concept, so it affects people in different ways. This means that some may find certain management strategies more effective than others. Similarly, you might find a strategy more difficult than it is rewarding. Trial and error is the best way to find a long-term solution for your burnout, to prevent it from occurring again.
Below we’ve listed some practical tips on managing and preventing ADHD burnout:
1. Create a supportive environment
One strategy people with ADHD find most helpful is creating a supportive, safe environment. This includes a support network who appreciates your unique challenges and symptoms of ADHD, rather than the symptoms the condition ‘should’ present as.
Your supportive environment could include:
- Loved ones whom you have strong bonds with: Friends, family members and neighbours who understand your unique needs and know how to support you effectively.
- Therapy or counselling: These services help you understand effective methods of managing feelings of shame, encouraging you to develop long-term coping strategies.
- Daily routines and dependable structure: A consistent, reliable routine can help you manage your time more effectively to reduce the stress of overcommitting and missing deadlines.
- A clean home free of clutter: A tidy home promotes a tidy mind; when your space is free of clutter and optimised to support your goals and promote relaxation.
2. Develop healthy habits
A good, healthy schedule is essential for people with ADHD, especially those who tend to put their fixations before self-care. Healthy habits to prevent burnout could include:
- Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time: Adequate rest is incredibly important to avoid burnout, and keeping to set sleep times can help your body get used to knowing when it needs to wind down.
- Exercise regularly: Get outside or book an exercise class to move your body and release endorphins to improve mental clarity and physical well-being.
- Practice meditation or other relaxation techniques: Encouraging boredom through mindfulness is an excellent way to stave off burnout and help your mind switch off.
- Eat well and mindfully: A balanced diet can support overall health and improve focus; eating too much sugar or high-processed foods can cause energy crashes and mood dips.
- Take your medication as and when directed: If you’ve been prescribed medication to manage ADHD symptoms, take it exactly as your doctor recommends, at the same time each day.
- Prioritise self-care: Making enough time to look after your mind and body can enhance your resilience to stress and prevent burnout effects.
3. Set realistic expectations
As you continue recovering from burnout, it’s important to consider behaviours that influenced your initial symptoms so you can change them and prevent the same thing happening in the future. One crucial example is setting realistic expectations instead of reaching for the stars and ending disappointed when you don’t achieve them.
Setting realistic, sensible expectations includes:
- Prioritising tasks to manage symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
- Recognising necessary limits to prevent overexertion and hyperfocus.
- Looking for accommodations at work, school and home to maintain focus and prevent restlessness.
4. Consider long-term lifestyle changes
While it can be daunting to consider lifestyle changes, they can significantly help people with ADHD to manage symptoms and prevent burnout. It’s important to look at your personal circumstances to determine the best course of action for you.
Important lifestyle changes could include:
- Regular therapy or counselling sessions: Seeing a mental health professional on a regular basis can help you learn more about your condition and create tailored coping strategies.
- Incorporating mindfulness practices into everyday life: Meditation and deep breathing are good examples of simple practices that you can implement into your daily routine to promote a sense of calm and avoid impulsivity.
- Scheduled breaks for rest: If you struggle with taking breaks, schedule them in and make sure you stick to them; while difficult, this is essential for recharging your batteries and combating feelings of unmotivation and overwhelm.
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