Burnout and neurodiversity are closely linked. For example, autistic people sometimes struggle with a particular kind of burnout called "autistic burnout." Other times, a neurodivergent person is simply the first person in a group to burn out, revealing harsh conditions that everyone is working under.

When we talk about burnout, it's important to take neurodiversity into account because we are learning that neurodivergent people make up such a large part of our population.

But first...

Burnout is mental and physcial collapse brought on by long-term overwork or stress.

Burnout was only recently recognized as a real syndrome. The International Classificatin of Diseases, 11th edition (ICD-11), published by the World Heath Organization, defines burnout as a “syndrome” caused by “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

The ICD-11 divides burnout into three “dimensions”:

The ICD-11, as well as psychological research on burnout, limits it to the workplace, stating that burnout only applies “in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”

But as I write in my new book, A Light in the Tower: A New Reckoning with Mental Health in Higher Education, a person who works from home can burn out from any kind of labor. Endless slide decks and endless dishes are equally laborious and can be........

© Psychology Today