Serenity NOW! | Why Neurodivergent Women in Biz Get Overstimulated

Have you ever been at a networking event and talked your face off because somehow you were able to click into party mode (well, the two glasses of Pinot Noir helped too!), and then you got home and stared at the ceiling all night thinking of everything you said and how it was the dumbest thing ever and how everyone must hate you now?

Ya, me either.

But for real, you know me—I always say we’re doing the damn thing—anxiety be damned! You can totally be a business baddie and still deal with anxiety, ADHD, or another mental health issue. 

And as we know, business is FULL of reasons to be overstimulated. In this post, I’m diving into why business can be overstimulating, how that can affect your professional life, and share some practical strategies to cope—and even better—THRIVE!

Start with the Basics—Why and How Do We Get Overstimulated?

Buckle up for a tiny bit of science jargon here…

Overstimulation occurs when a person's brain is overwhelmed by excessive information or sensory input, resulting in mental exhaustion, increased stress, and difficulty focusing. 

Sound familiar?

And for women in business with ADHD or anxiety, the constant presence of stimuli in the work environment can really contribute to overstimulation.

Many of the women I work with own their own businesses and work for themselves. But I know another good chunk of you are also in the corporate world.

Working for yourself brings its own set of stimuli, while working in an office has other stimuli. See which of these sources of overwhelm you relate to.

System Overload | Sensory Overload at Work

Let’s just admit that a bustling office environment can be overwhelming, with noise, bright lights, and constant movement. For those of you dealing with ADHD or anxiety, this sensory overload can be draining and affect your ability to concentrate.

Under Pressure | Emotional Pressure and Overstimulation

The reason why I love focusing on my high-functioning anxiety ladies is because you are crushing it at life and need permission to fall apart a little bit. And it’s totally okay to admit that high-pressure situations of your high-achieving jobs can also lead to emotional overload. Stress from tight deadlines, important presentations, and decision-making can intensify existing anxiety and contribute to overstimulation.

Staring at the Clock | Overstimulation in Business Meetings

Business meetings can be particularly triggering for women with anxiety. The fast-paced discussions, multiple voices, and complex information processing can make it challenging for women with anxiety to actively participate and share their ideas confidently.

And for my ADHD ladies, sitting still for an hour is literally just not an option. Thank God for the rise of Zoom meetings, where you can turn your camera off and scroll on your phone without judgment. It’s not rudeness, it’s coping. But what about when you’re in person and playing Candy Crush looks like you straight aren’t paying attention? Let’s get into some of those coping strategies.

Coping Strategies for Overanxiety at Work

Let’s face it, whether you run your own biz or you’re climbing the corporate ladder, overstimulation is going to happen. So here are some magical coping tools you can use when the overwhelm is mounting, and you’re ready to crawl out of your skin.

During Meetings

To manage overstimulation during meetings, there are a few things you can try. 

1. Request an agenda in advance so you know what to expect and can prepare as needed. If you are the lady in charge, consider providing agendas in advance to accommodate other neurodivergent thinkers in the room.
2. Bring a fidget toy or draw a doodle if possible to keep your hands busy.
3. Advocate for inclusivity! Neurodivergence in the workplace is going to become more and more of a thing (well, we use ADHD folks were already there, but we had to hide our superpowers!) So use your resources and advocate for awareness of neurodivergent thinkers.

During the Work Day

Okay, raise your hand if sometimes all the roles and responsibilities of your work and personal life make you want to curl up under your desk and cry. 🙋🏾‍♀️

Developing effective time management techniques will help you avoid wanting to hide from the world, because you’ll know there is a time and a place for everything that needs to happen.

Before you tune me out here, it IS possible for you to set up systems for yourself that help you be and feel successful! 

1. Write out your tasks and put them in number order by priority. Do them IN ORDER, not in the “avoiding the thing you should actually be doing” way your ADHD brain tells you to do for the biggest payoffs. Procrastivity is a thing (where you are being productive in another way to avoid the thing you should be doing).
   
2. Be real with yourself about deadlines and communicate those expectations to people who need to know! 
3. Set that timer on your phone for regular self-care breaks to maintain focus and avoid becoming overwhelmed. Some women like the Pomodoro technique (essentially 25 minutes of focused work time and a 5-minute break. It’s super cute because you break your work into 🍅emojis—who couldn’t do just 🍅🍅 of work?

Tech Burnout

Listen, I love technology as much as the next girl. I mean, Zoom allows me to meet with awesome women like you all over the country. But the swooshing notifications on my laptop and beep beep of my Voxer app on my phone have me saying “squirrel!” all fucking day.

And on my more anxious days, these notifications feel less like a harmless distraction and more like another Jenga block on my tower that could topple at any moment. 

What can a neurodivergent girl do about it?

1. Digital detox during working hours. Put that phone on airplane mode if you can, or make sure you’ve turned off notifications for social media, personal email, Door Dash, Amazon, etc, etc, etc, so you don’t get sucked into that mess at work.
2. Schedule specific times to check email/Slack and hold yourself to it! It’s called time-blocking, and it can be an incredible tool for those of us who easily get derailed for half an hour (or longer!) after getting one email that led us down a rabbit trail.

Let Your Freak Flag Fly and Get Support/Workplace Accommodations

Some of you are your own bosses, and that’s both awesome and scary. It means you can create space for yourself to let your freak flag fly and work in the way that best suits you.

But, it also can lead to a lot of shame and frustration (see my last blog post 😓) if you don’t fully know how your brain works. It’s easy to spiral, feeling frustrated that you can’t seem to just get things done like other people do.

If that’s you, please hop on my email list (fill out my contact form on my website) and follow me on social just so you get regular encouragement that you’re not alone!

If you are in a corporate workplace, it’s 1000% okay to talk to your HR department and see what accommodations are available to you. Some workplaces might be able to provide quiet spaces, offer flexible hours, and integrate stress-reducing activities that can help your overstimulation a TON.

To sum it up…

Whether you own your own biz, or you’re a women in business in the corporate world, there are one million reasons to be overstimulated by work. And for those of us with anxiety, ADHD, or other neurodivergent brain powers, that overstimulation gets amplified.

But anxiety be damned, as I always say. And now I’m saying ADHD be damned too! We’re doing the damn thing, harnessing our epic superpowers, and learning some coping skills, so we can be the business baddies we were born to be!

Please try out these tips and let me know if they help! And if you want ongoing support, consider my 1:1 coaching program, where I work with women in business who are dealing with neurodivergence too, called The LEAP. 

Until next time, my lovelies!

XOXO, Karrie