It’s Mental Health Awareness Month — a time when we shine a spotlight on the realities of what it means to protect and prioritize our minds, especially in a world that often demands more than we can give. One topic making headlines this week? A recent study shows younger women, especially Gen Z and millennials, are facing record-high levels of daily stress compared to previous generations. And if you’re neurodivergent, this stress can feel like a tidal wave. 🌊
🧠 Why the Stress Feels So Heavy
Much of this stress isn’t just about what’s on our to-do lists — it’s about the invisible weight we carry daily: emotional labor. This can look like remembering everyone’s birthdays, smoothing over workplace conflicts, over-explaining your ADHD to managers or family, or being the “default” parent who just knows where the missing soccer cleats are. Sound familiar?
Emotional labor is often unpaid, unrecognized, and disproportionately placed on women and neurodivergent folks — those of us already spending extra energy navigating a world built for neurotypical brains.
🔥 Burnout vs. Procrastination — Know the Difference
You might ask yourself, “Am I just being lazy or putting things off again?” But hold up: procrastination is not the same as burnout. Here’s the difference:
- Procrastination is avoidance. You can do the thing, but you’re delaying.
- Burnout is depletion. You can’t do the thing — your body and brain literally don’t have the energy reserves left.
If you’ve noticed your focus slipping, motivation bottoming out, and your usual routines becoming unsustainable, it might not be an “attention” issue — it might be a burnout issue. And that deserves compassion, not self-judgment.
🔍 For Neurodivergent Folks, It’s Complicated
Masking, people-pleasing, being the “helpful” one, or hyper-achieving to compensate for focus or executive function challenges — it all adds up. And when you’re constantly adapting to environments not designed for you, burnout is never far behind.
You are not “too sensitive.” You are not “making it harder than it needs to be.” You are likely operating on hard mode every single day. 🎮
💡 How to Start Shifting the Cycle
- Name the Invisible Labor: Make a list of all the things you carry mentally and emotionally — and notice which of those things you’re expected to do silently.
- Say the Quiet Part Out Loud: Whether at work or home, name what’s happening. Use language like “I’m noticing I’m experiencing decision fatigue” or “I’ve hit a point of emotional burnout.”
- Find Low-Lift Solutions: That might be communicating your needs to a team, reducing your availability temporarily, or asking your partner to take over the birthday party RSVPs. Small changes ➡️ big impact.
- Give Yourself Permission to Not Hustle: You don’t have to earn rest. You don’t have to justify it. It’s a need, not a reward. 🧸
💚 Mental Health Awareness Should Be All Year
Our mental health isn’t something to focus on just in May — it’s something we must protect all year. And the truth is, the systems many of us are operating in (corporate, parenting, education) weren’t built with neurodiversity or equitable labor in mind.
But the more we name what’s happening, normalize rest, and push for meaningful change, the more space we make for a world that works for everyone.
💥 P.S. If you’re looking for a starting place to help understand your ADHD brain and build more sustainable habits, download my free mini workbook: Navigating ADHD. It’s full of prompts, planning tips, and support strategies that actually honor how your brain works.
Amplify Wellness with Meg Duke 