ADHD and Burnout at Work: What Most Employers Miss

A client once told me, “By the time I finish reading my emails, I already feel behind for the day.” And if you’re living with ADHD, you probably know exactly what they meant. Workplaces today seem designed to exhaust the ADHD brain: constant context switching, never-ending notifications, unclear priorities, and sensory overload. And for those without ADHD, here’s the truth—it’s exhausting for you too.

Whether or not you have ADHD, this blog is a call to rethink how we approach burnout. And if you do have ADHD? I hope this feels like a warm sigh of recognition and relief.

People with ADHD often put in more effort just to meet the baseline of workplace demands (Barkley, Murphy, & Fischer, 2008). Things like organizing information, filtering distractions, or sitting through back-to-back meetings require more mental energy than most employers realize (Kessler et al., 2005). When sustained over time, this extra load leads to burnout—fast.

But here’s the good news: burnout isn’t inevitable. With a little awareness and the right structures in place, it’s possible to create work environments where people with ADHD—and everyone else—can thrive.

Try This: 3 Ways to Support Neurodivergent Employees (and Prevent Burnout for Everyone)

1. Allow Focus-Protection Time Give permission for deep work blocks—uninterrupted, email-free, meeting-free time. Even just 90 minutes a day makes a huge difference.

2. Clarify Priorities Don’t assume people know what matters most. Rank top tasks. Be explicit about what can wait. Clarity = less wasted energy.

3. Normalize Tools That Support Focus Noise-canceling headphones, visual timers, written agendas—these aren’t crutches. They’re tools that support productivity for everyone, not just those with ADHD.

This blog was inspired by a client who told me, after implementing a simple change to their routine, “It feels like I finally have room to breathe.” That’s the power of small shifts with big impact.

Learn more strategies for building peace at work and within yourself in Cultivating Inner Peace. It’s more than a book—it’s a guide to sustainable well-being. Find it here.

References

Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311

Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Barkley, R., et al. (2005). The prevalence and effects of adult ADHD on work performance in a nationally representative sample of workers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 47(6), 565–572.

Barkley, R. A., Murphy, K. R., & Fischer, M. (2008). ADHD in adults: What the science says. Guilford Press.