Research shows that neurodivergent people are more likely to often experience burnout.
We’ve discussed burnout previously and how it’s something that anyone can suffer from. Whether it’s caused by work, relationships, mental health conditions, etc, nobody is immune to feeling burnt-out. Physical and mental burnout is caused by having stress levels that are too high; this can impact your daily life, and make you feel drained both physically and mentally- even if you’ve had a good night’s sleep!
It’s more common for neurodivergent people, and this is because they spend a lot of time ‘masking’ and enduring more mental or social challenges. Masking is a term used to describe how a neurodivergent person may try to hide their symptoms in order to fit in, especially within the workplace. This can be mentally exhausting - not only are they trying to figure out some of the social culture around them, but they aren’t fully being themselves, which causes a lot of pressure.
In the workplace, social cues like tea or coffee rounds, meetings, and workstation etiquette can add to this stress and pressure. Neurodiversity can also mean that some people experience sensory sensitivity with things like noise and lights, making the workplace more of a distressing environment. This can become stressful and exhausting, leading to burnout.
Stigma in the workplace can be difficult to deal with too. Neurodiversity covers a broad range of symptoms; everyone's experience is likely to be different, and so there can at times be misunderstandings amongst people in the workplace. This can make neurodiverse people feel ashamed, isolated or embarrassed in certain situations, as they may feel like they can’t speak up if they’re struggling personally, or finding a task difficult.
What are the impacts of burnout at work?
Burnout means that there will be higher levels of presenteeism. People will be at work in a physical sense, but mentally they may be distracted, and not giving their tasks or job full focus and concentration. This ultimately leads to a drop in productivity, which can impact businesses financially.
It can also cause poor communication within teams as burnout can increases irritability and misunderstandings. Tensions within the workplace will also have an impact on productivity and can create a negative work environment, where people may want to leave, costing the business even more.
How can Occupational Health help?
Making helpful adjustments in the workplace will make neurodivergent people feel more comfortable. For instance, having access to counselling can help people understand themselves better, making it more clear what support they may need, and how they can learn the best coping mechanisms that work for them.
Taking steps to create more suitable working environments can mean less masking and less sensory sensitivity; team members will be comfortable enough to complete tasks at a high quality. In turn, these adjustments ultimately reduce burnout levels, helping to increase productivity, reduce presenteeism, and improve overall wellbeing levels.
