Fight your ADHD burnout by mapping your energy
Spoiler alert: You’re doing too much.
Part of the reason you’re struggling with your ADHD is because you’re exhausted and burned out.
If you have ADHD, you’re likely doing too much in every single part of your life. You’re trying to do 100 percent in every single part of your life:
At your job: 100 percent
With your partner: 100 percent
With your friends: 100 percent
For your hobby: 100 percent
Cleaning at home: 100 percent
Someone asks you for a favor: 100 percent
But what if I told you, that’s not what neurotypical people mean, when they say ‘as long as you’re doing your best, that’s good enough’
‘Your best’ is what you’re able to give while still leaving energy for yourself. And that looks like doing 100 percent, when divided onto all of the things in your life, that you spend energy on.
Instead of the example I used before, this might look like:
At your job: 35 percent
With your partner: 20 percent
With your friends: 10 percent
For your hobby: 5 percent
Cleaning at home: 10 percent
Someone asks you for a favor: 0 percent
For yourself: 20 percent
If you don’t make room for yourself (in whatever way you have the capacity for) and manage your time and energy in a way that respects your mind and body’s boundaries, that’s when you start struggling with burnout, depressive episodes and an exacerbation of your symptoms.
And I don’t know about you, but that’s not my jam. So let’s talk about how to change it.
Map your energy
Start with your current energy budget
I want you to take a look at your current life, and I want you to make an energy budget.
Start by writing down the big things you spend your energy on – good or bad.
Don’t assign any percentages to the listed things in the beginning, just get them all down on paper.
I recommend writing it down on a physical piece of paper – like a notebook. You can also download this sheet to use (and print however many you need):
If you struggle to remember all of the things you spend your energy on, you can leave out the paper over the course of a couple of days, and write things down as you remember them. I’d like you to write yourself on that list – even if you don’t currently take energy out of your budget for yourself.
Once you feel like you’re done compiling the list, start assigning percentages to them. You have 100 percent – divide them into the spaces in your life that you spend your energy on.
This should give you an idea of how you currently prioritize your energy.
The task: Write down the things you spend a lot of energy on. Assign percentages to them on how much energy you spend on them.
Build your ideal energy budget
When you look at your current energy budget, does it look like you want it to?
I’m going to go ahead and assume that it doesn’t. So now’s the time to start prioritizing.
Consider this: What does your life look like in an ideal situation?
Build your ideal energy budget after that ideal.
We’re going for a realistic ideal situation, so don’t shape your ideal energy budget after something you know you can’t live up to. For example, if you’re currently using 90 percent of your energy on your job, it’s highly unlikely that you’d be able to use 0 percent in your ideal energy budget. Go go for realistic, but improved. If you currently spend 80 percent, maybe a goal is to spend 50 percent instead.
Again, use a physical piece of paper or download the sheet I mentioned above:
The task: Start with writing down the areas of your life you’d ideally like to spend your energy on. Then assign percentages to the task. You can’t go over 100 percent. Remember to assign a percentage of your energy to yourself that’s just for rest.
Workshop possible changes
It’s time to compare your two energy budgets, where they align and where they don’t. This should show you your priorities in life, and where you might not be acting in alignment with what your ideal life looks like.
Consider how your current life reflects these priorities, and where it’s possible for you to do something about it.
You might have to start spending less time on some things, and less energy on others.
Time and energy are not the same things.
You can still spend 8 hours at work, while spending significantly less energy than you’re currently doing. This article is all about reducing the amount of energy you spend on things.
This might look like only reading an email once before you send it, instead of three times. It might look like asking for accommodations at work or school so you can lessen the overwhelm associated with noise and visual noise. It might mean setting boundaries around your time and energy at work, or with friends and family.
The task: Write down the changes you could make that would save you some energy. Use a physical notebook or piece of paper.
Time to act
The task: Pick a couple of tasks you want to work on implementing, write them down and leave the paper somewhere in eyesight in a place where you frequently pass by, along with the ideal energy budget to continually remind you of the changes you’re trying to make.
Start implementing as soon as possible.
Inspiration for changes
If you’re struggling with what sort of changes you can make in your life to take back your energy, here’s a list of things you can do to start the process.
Work: Office edition
Batch similar tasks: Answer emails, schedule meetings, or do admin in one focused session.
Use a second brain system: Track ideas, to-dos, and reminders in an app like Notion, Microsoft To Do, or Apple reminders – when you get thoughts out of your brain, you spend less energy trying to remember them.
Set up visual cues or reminders: Use sticky notes, whiteboards, or digital notifications help offload mental load.
Defer decisions: If you have a tendency to immediately say yes to things without knowing your workload, work on saying “I have to check my current projects to see if I have room for that” before agreeing to ANYTHING. It’s easier to say no, when you know for a fact that your workload is already massive.
Wear the same work outfit combo: Reduce decision fatigue with a go-to outfit formula. Maybe you have 5 of the same t-shirt and pants, or own the same thing in different colors.
Use noise-canceling headphones or brown noise: Both help you reduce distractions in overstimulating environments.
Ask for accommodations: Ask for a privacy screen for your desk to lower visual noise, ask if you’re allowed to work from home or if you’re allowed to go into a conference room when you need to focus.
Practice putting in less effort: Every time you have a task, try to do one thing less than you normally would have. Re-read an email draft once instead of twice before sending, do one less read-through of a report than you usually would, don’t volunteer for a task you would usually do (even when nobody else is volunteering) etc.
Plan for less than you have the capacity for: Assume that you have about 20 percent less energy than you actually do when taking on a task, and ask yourself: Would I be able to handle this task with 20 percent less energy than I have now? If the answer is no, then you don’t have the capacity to take on anything more.
Practice saying no: Start out by practicing your ‘no’ in low-stakes environments, like around your closest co-worker or on someone you dislike. Start out with small things that don’t feel threatening, like saying: “Sorry, I’m in the middle of something right now, can I get back to you?” when someone disturbs you while you’re working.
Work: Hospitality edition
Follow a routine for opening and closing tasks: Use a checklist to reduce decision-making and memory load.
Pre-plan phrases: Prepare go-to scripts for common customer interactions to avoid mental fatigue.
Keep water and snacks nearby: Prevent energy crashes and support emotional regulation.
Use sensory tools: Wear comfortable shoes and clothing, or fidget jewelry to manage overstimulation.
Minimize unnecessary steps: Keep tools (tape gun, pens, scanner) on a belt or nearby tray to avoid repeated walking.
Protect your break time: Do your best to set boundaries so your break isn’t interrupted, and use it for sensory rest (quiet, food, stretching). If you have the option, pop on a couple of noise-cancelling headphones to get a sensory break.
Use visual systems: Labels, signage, and color-coding help with organization and reduce mental tracking.
Ask to get assigned to non-social roles: If you’re the type to be drained by a lot of social interactions, consider asking if you can be switched to a role where you don’t have to interact with as many people (if that’s an option in your field).
Cleaning and tasks at home
Set an activity timer: Set a timer to tidy surfaces or one small area at a time. It could be as low as 2 minutes or as long as 15 minutes depending on your preferences.
Make it enjoyable: Pair the task with something you enjoy doing like listening to your favorite song or podcast or watching an episode of your favorite TV-series.
Stack your tasks with existing habits: When you’re in the kitchen waiting for the pasta water to boil, why not wash a dish or two?
Use clutter baskets: Quickly gather out-of-place items in one spot for sorting later.
Skip some steps: Eliminate as many of the steps as you can to make task initiation and completion easier. For example, use cleaning wipes if that’s easier for you than reusable cloths and liquid cleaning products.
Keep duplicate cleaning supplies: One set per floor or bathroom saves steps and decision-making. Keep them in the bathroom cabinet.
Activate your support system: Ask a friend or loved one to help you out or for them to be an accountability partner to help motivate you and keep you on task.
Use visual storage: Clear bins and open shelves reduce “out of sight, out of mind” clutter.
Embrace non-perfect cleaning: Don't aim for perfection – maintenance mode is enough.
Allow yourself to do the bare minimum: Do the smallest possible action you can to reduce the overwhelm and make task initiation easier. If you can’t do ten dishes, just do one.
Socializing
Pre-set boundaries: Decide in advance how long you'll stay at events or how often you’ll respond to messages.
Keep go-to scripts ready: Prepare responses for declining invitations or ending conversations gracefully.
Schedule downtime before and/or after: Build in decompression time so you’re not overstimulated.
Choose low-effort hangouts: Meet at quiet places or do parallel activities like co-working or going for a walk.
Limit group chats and notifications: Mute or leave conversations that drain your attention.
Use reminders for birthdays or events: Automate check-ins with calendar alerts or apps.
If you’re struggling with figuring out which changes you can make that would help your energy levels, DM me, and we can workshop some possible changes for you to make.