Take time to notice things that recur before burnout sets in
Dan shares his experience of burnout and how this affected his anxiety, work performance and social life. He also sheds light on navigating burnout and the workplace as a young person with neurodivergence.
I’m Dan, a young professional living just outside of Greater Manchester. I am neurodivergent, and although this comes with strengths that I am very much proud of, it tends to make everyday situations difficult for me, both at home and at work.
I have had a few jobs since graduating from university, but I currently work in a project-based organisation in the education consultancy sector – the first job I have considered as being part of my career. Most days I enjoy coming to work and am proud of what I contribute. The environment is generally supportive and fosters personal development, but I feel it is geared towards the neurotypical individual. Because of this, I tend to worry that my unique working practices will be misconstrued in some way that makes me look like a bad employee, despite managing to get the work done.
My rigid perfectionism means that quite often I will struggle to complete (or even attempt) a task if I do not wholly believe that it can be completed perfectly.

– Dan, aged 24"One time it got to the point where voices started to creep in, telling me that my line manager thinks I'm underperforming and just hasn't told me about it; that I was going to be fired without warning, and that each passing week was likely my last."
I don’t know whether this was due to the fact that it almost happened at my previous job, or if my black-and-white thinking was joining forces with my anxiety, making it easy to assume the worst. Maybe it was both, or something else entirely. But they say old habits die hard, and it was incredibly hard to make it seem like nothing was wrong.
At work, I felt like my performance was starting to falter as my high workload became more and more unmanageable. I’m normally the type of person to want to remedy things before they become a serious issue, but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to open up to my line manager about it. If my employer offered support specifically for burnout, I wasn’t aware of it.
Outside of work, I felt guilty for needing to take so much time for myself just to recover from a workday. There would be some days where I wouldn’t talk to many people, and would hardly interact with my partner at all because I wanted to bury my head in a video game. Stress eating would often add to the guilt and perpetuate the cycle even further.
Thankfully, I have been attending private psychotherapy for the past four years now. My therapist helps me work through situations like these, where I am unable to see the wood for the trees.

– Dan, aged 24"Burnout is a relatively new concept for me, but I have begun to form healthy habits and coping strategies to recognise and prevent it at work.
When I feel my thoughts getting cloudy, I know that my hyperfocus will burn me out for the rest of the day if I persist, so I look to clear my head of that task and begin a new one before going back to it."
Generally, though, it is about being open-minded and willing enough to explore what works for you, as there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to something like this. Take the time to notice things that recur before burnout sets in – I felt that this was a great place to start recognising how to avoid it. It is definitely a process that took time and emotional investment, before I was at a point where I could confidently identify what works for me.
Be kind to yourself – Rome wasn’t built in a day.
If you are struggling, please reach out to someone you can confide in. Sometimes it feels like the most impossible thing in the world to do – but it is also the most important. Each step gets easier and easier until you wonder how you ever worried about reaching out in the first place.
Want to know more about burnout?
Read our latest Burnout Report and access helpful insights and resources for employees and employers.
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