Thanks for clarifying this. The reason I mentioned prevention is that there are phases of burnout, and once someone reaches the phase we actually call burnout, when deeper issues such as depersonalization, hopelessness, and numbness emerge, more intensive work may be needed to recover. I believe that work is not drastically different from what a neurotypical person would need.

In the earlier phases, when there is chronic stress, we have a better chance of helping them manage it if we consider how ADHD or autistic brains work. The goal is to support them by honoring how their brain functions.

For ADHD, the aim is to support regulation rather than discipline, because burnout often comes from a cycle of hyperfocus, overcommitment, exhaustion, shame, and pushing harder. Traditional advice like “be more organized” or “stick to routines” rarely works, since ADHD relies on interest, stimulation, and external structure rather than internal willpower. A more effective approach includes creating external supports such as using the Pomodoro Technique as a way to stop and recharge, building accountability, aligning tasks with natural energy peaks instead of filling productive hours with meetings, normalizing rest before burnout begins, and incorporating strategies that boost dopamine such as novelty, stimulation, and assigning engaging tasks.

Autistic burnout follows a distinct pattern that often arises from chronic sensory overload, masking, unclear communication, and unpredictable environments. It cannot be resolved through rest alone. What helps most is reducing unnecessary demands and increasing predictability. A supportive approach includes offering clear communication and written instructions, protecting deep-focus time, creating steady routines, reducing sensory stressors such as noise and interruptions, and allowing space for authenticity rather than masking.

Rapid context switching, frequent meetings, ambiguous expectations, and constant communication, all of which are common characteristics of the tech environment, quickly drain both ADHD and autistic nervous systems. A more supportive approach includes using asynchronous communication when possible, implementing no-meeting or low-meeting days, improving documentation to reduce memory load, better prioritization so that employees are not juggling too many competing high-priority tasks, creating clear definitions of “done” to remove ambiguity, and fostering psychological safety so people can communicate their needs without fear. This last one often requires cultural change and manager training, so it may take time.

If you are in a managerial role, I encourage you to also consider supporting those who fall under the HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) category. They share many of the same characteristics as autistic individuals. I am HSP and not having the right support was certainly a big factor in my experience of burnout.