How to thrive as a neurodivergent in a neurotypical workplace

Let's be honest, it can feel difficult enough to exist in a neurotypical world let alone thrive in it. The workplace in particular is one environment which often cannot be avoided. The majority of us depend on working full-time to survive and pay the bills. But if you're neurodivergent, this in itself can feel like an impossible task.

Whilst there is an increased awareness of neurodivergence and making workplaces more inclusive and accessible in general, the reality is that many still fall short. Similarly, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many workplaces are now more open to flexible working. Unfortunately, this isn't the case everywhere and some companies are even pressuring people back into the office.

Taking all of this into consideration, it's no surprise that many neurodivergent folx feel hopeless, overstimulated and exhausted by their work. If this is you, you're not alone. Whilst it may not feel possible to completely change your work situation, there are some things which may make it feel more manageable. Let's explore some of these...

Communicating your needs to employers

A theme that often comes up in my work with neurodivergent therapy clients is self-advocacy. This is particularly common in late-diagnosed neurodivergent folx. If this is you, you may have grown up hearing messages such as 'children should be seen and not heard', 'respect your elders', 'stop being so cheeky', 'it's rude to talk back'...

 It's likely that there was also a lot of stigma, misinformation and a general lack of awareness around neurodivergence. As a result, you may have masked and contorted yourself to try and be like others, hidden who you really were and felt like there was something wrong with you (you may have even heard this from others!).

If this was the case, it's no wonder that speaking up for yourself might feel wrong and scary. However, in not speaking up for yourself, you're telling yourself that you're not worthy of having your needs met.

This is where counselling can be helpful for some. Counselling can help you to gain a deeper understanding of your neurodivergence and how it impacts your daily life. By recognising your strengths and challenges, you can become more aware of what adjustments or support you might need.

It can also help you to practice articulating your needs in a way that feels comfortable and clear. This might involve role-playing conversations where you express your needs to others, which builds confidence in real-life situations. In terms of the workplace, this could involve creating a script or guide for how to talk with colleagues or employers, including setting boundaries around things like workspace preferences or managing sensory needs.

Being assertive without feeling guilty or anxious can feel difficult. Counselling provides a safe space to practice assertiveness techniques, helping you to learn how to self-advocate without feeling like you’re being too demanding or confrontational.

Managing sensory overload in the office

Once you feel more confident with self-advocacy, managing sensory overload in the office can feel slightly easier. However, even if you don't, there are still different things you can do to make it feel less overwhelming.

Offices in particular can often be very overstimulating. Bright fluorescent lights, several desks close together, lots of different noises... It can be a lot.

Your needs are very personal and specific to you so only you know what will be helpful or not. However, here are some ideas of requests you could make:

•  Ask to work in a quieter space.
• Choose or ask for a desk further away from others or next to the window for natural light etc.
• Request to have regular small breaks throughout the day rather than take your lunch break all at once.
• Suggest 'quiet hours' for specific times of the day.
• Request a hybrid or more flexible working style.

If you're not quite ready to make such requests or feel that this is impossible, perhaps you can make some of your own adjustments. These might include things like:

• Wearing noise-cancelling headphones or noise-reducing earplugs to reduce or eliminate office noises.
• Wearing blue light glasses to reduce sensory overload from screen use.
• Taking regular breaks to stretch your legs, get a drink or go to the bathroom. Anything which temporarily takes you away from your desk and environment.
• Using fidget tools or having soothing sensory tools to hand eg. an essential oil roller, soft fabric.

Burnout and self-care

No matter what you do, navigating a neurotypical world as a neurodivergent can still be exhausting. This can mean that you're more likely to experience burnout, particularly because most of us spend the majority of our week at work.

Something that comes up a lot with my neurodivergent clients in therapy, is unlearning the need to try and keep up with others or do things in the same way as they do. Everyone, whether neurodivergent or not, works and learns in different ways. Whilst it's easier said than done, it doesn't make sense to compare your working style to others because we all have our unique strengths and challenges.

Recognising how you work and what's realistic for you can be a helpful way to prevent burnout. This is because you're not setting yourself unrealistic expectations and taking on more than you have capacity for. You may be thinking, but what if my manager or workplace is setting these expectations? Well, that's where communicating your needs can come in handy.

Whilst workplaces should be more inclusive and accessible, there's still a lot of ignorance around what neurodivergent folx really need. Many of my clients have been surprised with how supportive their managers or colleagues have been when they've expressed their sensory needs, working styles and preferences. At the end of the day, working in a way which suits you benefits everyone, because it means that you can work to the best of your ability.

Final thoughts

Navigating the workplace as a neurodivergent can be tough. It may be that even if you implement the above, it might still feel impossible. If this is the case, there is support out there to help you figure out what your next steps might be. Some of these include:

• Exploring your needs with a neurodiversity-affirming therapist (if you're not sure what this is, check out my article, Neurodiversity-affirming therapy - what is it and how to find it?
• Into Work provides employment support for neurodivergent folx living in Edinburgh and Midlothian.
• Autism Plus provides in-work support, one-off sessions, employer support and back-to-work support for neurodivergent folx (this includes, autism spectrum conditions, ADHD and ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia).
• Autism and Neurodiversity Scotland provides employment support, support with volunteering opportunities and developing skills and experience.