4 Ways to Build a Business that Supports Neurodivergent Energy Levels
You wake up every day ready to attack your to-do list. But as a neurodivergent entrepreneur, you often can’t predict what that might look like that day. Autism and ADHD in particular can cause energy levels that ebb and flow. This means creating a business that’s flexible and adaptable, so you can get things done instead of steeping in self-judgement.
ADHD often drives attention toward what seems interesting that day. If there’s low interest, often there is low energy around that particular task, as well.
Autism can often make people burnout-prone, so if you overdid one day, you might need a super chill alone day the next day.
These things make entrepreneurship ideal for neurodivergent women. We need more of an ebb and flow sort of lifestyle, instead of the standard 9-5 rigidity. Preventing burnout is important, and these tips can help you design a life that supports thriving.
Here are 4 things you can put into place in your business to support your natural energy flows.
1. Structure your days and weeks with flexibility baked in.
Typical advice for business owners is to create rigid days with long to-do lists focused on productivity. But this rarely works for neurodivergent entrepreneurs. Instead, treat your to-do list as something you do over a week or a handful of days. You’ll still be working toward everything that needs to be done, but something might happen on a different day from what you originally intended. And that’s okay!
Build your to-do lists like menus, allowing yourself to pick from a selection of things you know you need to get done. You can then choose the things that match your energy levels and capacity for that day. This gives you the pre-strategy so you’re meeting your goals and reducing decision fatigue. It also lets you choose from a positive place, so you still feel like you’re achieving something every day.
2. Design your client work around your real capacity.
Some of us are speedy and have a big capacity on certain days. That doesn’t mean it’s sustainable every day. If you’re someone who works in sprints, that’s just fine. But don’t always expect that from yourself, or you’ll burn out fast.
Be super honest with what you can actually do with and for clients over the course of a week. Breaks, food, rest, and quiet are important parts of business structure, too. If you’re forcing yourself through really long days with clients, skipping meals, not getting any movement, and just “pushing through”... how long do you think you can maintain that? What will the consequences be in a year from now? Two years? 5 years? 10 years?
If you truly love what you do, build your business so you can keep doing it for many years to come. Business owners who run-run-run, burn out, and quit deprive their communities of their amazing work. Be honest so you can be sustainable.
3. Systemize and automate to cut down on decision fatigue.
If you haven’t systemized your business, you’re probably wasting energy on choices that should have already been made. Executive function struggles mean we often get stuck in decision paralysis around choices. Without a solid structure, you’re often flailing and spending energy on things that don’t help. You want a business you love and that makes you real income.
Build out your systems. Automate things. Create templates and workflows. Automate emails and schedulers. Invest in good tech that helps you make this happen seamlessly. Build a specific container for client work with a predetermined pathway and pre-built materials and/or workflow. Decide before the work happens.
4. Build in breaks and seasons of rest to prevent burnout.
Americans in particular are quite obsessed with non-stop working. But that’s not how humans are meant to be. Humans are meant for long breaks for play and rest, and we need it to function and thrive. Productivity stops being productive when we haven’t rested enough.
Plan out your breaks ahead of time. What that looks like depends on what you do and how you do it. Maybe it means you take 2 or so months off every year. Maybe it means you take a couple weeks off here and there. Whichever style works best for you, plan it and block it out on your calendar. Treat it as just as important as your client work.
Neurodivergence makes this non-negotiable. Our brains and body need lots of down time to function well. This means build breaks and rest into your weeks, as well as your year. Don’t be afraid to take a day to turn off your brain and just play. You’ll come back to your work refreshed and ready to engage again.
Thrive By Working With Your Brain
It’s easy for us to weave stories about “laziness” when we don’t fit into a neurotypical business building model. But the truth is that we aren’t lazy at all, we’re just differently wired. So work WITH your brain instead of forcing it to conform to an expectation it will never fit.
When you pre-build a work container that matches who you are, fits your zone of genius, and that preserves your energy, you create a business that is sustainable for the long haul. You also build resiliency and well-being, and you become a true resource for your community.
If you’ve been nodding along but can’t figure out how to do this for your own business, that’s why I created the One Day Business Retreat. In one whole day, we’ll work through your hot spots, design for your brain, and talk about where you’re getting hung up, so you can move forward with clarity.
Book a free 15-minute vibe check call with me to find out if this is a good fit for you.
