The Autistic Burnout Cycle: A Long Form Article
Natasha Mulenga
The Autistic Burnout Cycle: How Hustle Culture Fails the Neurodivergent Mind
Modern Productivity Publication | Neurodiversity & Work
THE CHALLENGE
A leading productivity blog wanted to challenge the one-size-fits-all approach of hustle culture. They needed a piece that would resonate with both neurodivergent readers who feel failed by conventional advice and neurotypical readers seeking to understand different perspectives.
Brief:
The Neurodiversity Project
Title: The Autistic Burnout Cycle: How Hustle Culture Fails the Neurodivergent Mind
Client (Hypothetical): Modern Productivity Publication
The Brief: "Our readers are obsessed with productivity, but we want to challenge the one-size-fits-all approach of 'hustle culture.' Write a reflective, personal essay that explores the concept of Autistic Burnout. Explain why the standard advice of 'powering through' is not only unhelpful but actively harmful. Use your personal experience with autism and ADHD to ground the piece, but also incorporate research or expert quotes to give it authority. The goal is to help neurodivergent readers feel seen and give neurotypical readers a new perspective."
Key Angles to Cover:
Define Autistic Burnout in your own words (contrasting it with simple exhaustion).
Describe the personal cost of trying to fit a neurotypical mold (the "masking" hamster wheel).
Offer an alternative framework for sustainable productivity built around energy management, not time management.
End with a message of self-acceptance and a call to redefine what "successful work" looks like.
MY APPROACH
I crafted a reflective personal essay that blends lived experience with research, defining Autistic Burnout and contrasting it with simple exhaustion. The piece moves from diagnosing the problem (the cost of "masking") to offering an alternative framework centered on energy management rather than time management.
THE RESULT
This piece became a flagship example of how to write about neurodiversity in the workplace with both authority and empathy, offering practical reframing while making readers feel deeply understood.
READ THE FULL PIECE
If you would like to work together, reach out right here on Contra or find me through my email: mnatashabwalya@gmail.com. If you would like to read more from me, find me on Substack or Medium or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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Posted Dec 5, 2025
Wrote an essay on Autistic Burnout and hustle culture for Modern Productivity Publication.
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