“Just Push Through” Is Not a Strategy

It’s how neurodivergent people get hurt.

“Just push through” might be the most dangerous advice neurodivergent people are given.

It sounds harmless. Motivating, even. But for people with ADHD, autism, trauma histories, or chronic nervous system dysregulation, pushing through often means overriding the very signals that keep us safe.

We are taught early that discomfort equals growth. That exhaustion is normal. That if something feels hard, the solution is more effort. So we learn to ignore our bodies, suppress overwhelm, and keep going.

Until the crash.

What people rarely understand is that neurodivergent burnout is not just tiredness. It is cognitive shutdown. It is loss of executive function. It is sensory overwhelm that makes everyday tasks impossible. It is physical illness, anxiety, depression, and in many cases, complete loss of capacity.

And yet the advice does not change.

Try harder.
Be more disciplined.
Get organised.
Fix your mindset.

This advice assumes a nervous system that can tolerate chronic stress. Many of us cannot. Not because we are weak, but because our brains process the world differently.

Working with your brain does not mean avoiding challenge or responsibility. It means recognising that sustainability matters more than appearances. It means designing work that does not rely on adrenaline, urgency, and crisis to function.

It means listening to early warning signs instead of waiting for collapse.

Pushing through is not resilience.
It is often survival mode dressed up as strength.

And if we actually care about neurodivergent people thriving rather than just coping, we need to stop glorifying endurance and start building systems that allow regulation, flexibility, and rest without punishment.

Because no one should have to burn their life down just to prove they are capable.

I see you ❤

Giarne