Work and Neurodivergence
At this month’s ND BrainSpace, we’ve been talking about work. Not just about finding a job, but about staying in one, feeling understood, and figuring out how to build a working life that actually fits.
We started with a simple question:
What do you find challenging about work and careers?
What we find hard
A lot of what came up pointed towards a sense of mismatch — between how neurodivergent minds work best and how many workplaces are set up.
Work structures
There was a lot of reflection around how traditional working patterns don’t always line up with natural rhythms or energy levels.
For example:
Circadian rhythms that don’t match typical 9–5 working hours
Full-time expectations that quickly lead to overwhelm
Choosing “safe” or less interesting roles to avoid anticipated burnout
The added challenge of finding work that is accessible or nearby
Alongside this, the wider system itself can sometimes feel confusing or unreliable — especially when navigating job centres, benefits, or employment support.
Communication differences
Communication came up again and again, often in subtle but impactful ways.
There were shared experiences of:
Asking for clarification and being seen as questioning authority
Being direct and then misunderstood
Speaking up in meetings and feeling slightly out of step
Moments of miscommunication with colleagues
One person described the impact of face blindness — worrying that they might come across as rude when they simply don’t recognise someone.
Another spoke about over-explaining or oversharing, not out of habit, but out of a genuine effort to be clear.
These aren’t examples of poor communication. More often, they reflect different communication styles bumping up against unspoken workplace expectations.
Executive functioning and energy
A lot of what was shared centred around the invisible effort of managing attention, memory, and prioritisation.
Things like:
Time blindness
Difficulty knowing what to prioritise
Needing to write things down rather than rely on memory
Finding it hard to start less interesting tasks
Perfectionism leading to work that never quite feels “finished”
There is often a constant balancing act between being able to focus deeply and tipping into overwhelm.
Masking and belonging
Another strong thread running through the conversation was the pressure to fit in.
Questions naturally arise, such as:
Should I disclose that I’m neurodivergent?
Will it be understood?
Will it change how I’m seen at work?
Masking — whether conscious or not — can take a huge amount of energy over time.
And when authenticity is misunderstood as rudeness or “being difficult,” it can quietly chip away at any sense of belonging.
What actually helps
We also spent time exploring what makes work feel more manageable — and the answers were, in many ways, reassuringly simple.
Clear communication
There was a strong sense that clarity changes everything.
It helps when workplaces offer:
Clear expectations
Written instructions
Honest, direct feedback
Guidance on where to go for support
When expectations are clear, there is far less guesswork — and far less stress.
Sensory awareness
Small changes to the environment can have a surprisingly big impact.
For example:
Softer, less harsh lighting
Fewer strong smells
A quieter space to work
Having a consistent desk rather than hot-desking
Sometimes it isn’t the work itself that drains energy — it’s everything surrounding it.
Practical tools
Many shared the strategies they’ve developed to make work more manageable day to day.
Things like:
Writing physical to-do lists rather than relying on memory
Offloading ideas and tasks into spreadsheets
Using structured focus techniques like Pomodoro
Listening to music or podcasts to support concentration
These tools can take some of the pressure off and make it easier to stay on track.
Flexibility and autonomy
Flexibility came up again and again as something that makes a real difference.
This can look like:
Flexible working hours
Reduced hours where possible
Working from home some of the time
Taking regular breaks
Having space to decompress alone
These are not about lowering expectations — they are about creating the conditions where someone can actually do their best work.
The bigger picture
One thing became very clear through the conversation: this is really about fit — the fit between energy levels and expectations, between communication styles, and between sensory needs and environments. When that fit improves, something shifts. Energy is no longer spent just trying to cope, but can instead be used for thinking, creating, contributing, and doing good work.
If you recognise yourself in any of this, you’re not alone. You’re navigating work in the way that works best for your brain.
Get involved
If this resonates, you’re very welcome to join us — no diagnosis needed, just curiosity and kindness.
ND BrainSpace is a peer-support space for neurodivergent adults to come together, share experiences, and explore what actually works in real life. It’s not about fixing anything — it’s about understanding, connection, and finding ways forward that feel more sustainable.
You can find out more about upcoming groups here: https://www.chooseyourway.co.uk/nd-brainspace
ND BrainSpace is community-led and supported through contributions. If you’re in a position to help with the running of the group, you can also find details on how to contribute via the link here — I really appreciate your help to keep the space going.