Sensory Overload: The Hidden Strain on Neurodivergent Women in the Workplace

From the outside, it looked perfect: promotions, packed calendars, polished LinkedIn posts. But behind the achievements, many professional women—especially those who are neurodivergent—are quietly burning out.

We are told to "lean in". Be assertive but not aggressive. Be vulnerable but not emotional. Be resilient, productive, detail-oriented, and composed. Smile while multitasking. And if you are a neurodivergent woman? Mask it. Fix it. Outperform it. Until you forget who you are underneath it all.

When Success Doesn't Feel Like Success

The cognitive dissonance hits hard. You've checked every box, but it still feels misaligned. You're exhausted after every meeting. You flinch at interruptions, avoid the group chat, dread open-office chaos, and rely on caffeine to power through.

You're not weak. You're overloaded.

The environments we operate in were not designed with women's neurology or lived experience in mind (how cold is your office right now?) - let alone for women with ADHD, sensory processing challenges, or anxiety. Yet, we internalize the problem as a personal failure.

Research indicates that sensory processing difficulties can have a significant impact on stress, cognitive load, and burnout (Engel-Yeger & Rosenblum, 2022). But most professional women don't realize the headaches, irritability, or difficulty focusing aren't flaws—they're signs of sensory dysregulation.

The Cost of Constant Masking

Masking isn't just a concern for neurodivergent individuals. It's a survival skill many women adopt: censoring their reactions, suppressing their needs, and performing competence while quietly unraveling.

For neurodivergent women, this is dialed up to 100. We organize our chaos, smile through sensory overload, deliver results while dissociating, and push until the mask cracks.

And when it does? We're labeled emotional, difficult, or unstable. The system rewards performance, not honesty.

What Burnout Looks Like

It's not just fatigue. It's:

• Emotional flatness after meetings

• Sunday dread that starts on Saturday morning

• Decision paralysis over small tasks

• Irritation at sounds, smells, interruptions

• Crying in the car before heading into the office

Burnout in neurodivergent women often stems from cumulative sensory stressors - like fluorescent lighting, constant background noise, and open office overstimulation - conditions that are often ignored in workplace wellness initiatives (Employment Autism, n.d.).

Sound familiar?

Behind the wins: fluorescent lights, noise, and adhd overwhelm

It's Not You. It's the System.

This isn't about working less or wanting an easier path. It's about recognizing that our minds, bodies, and leadership styles deserve to be part of the conversation.

It's not too much to ask for a workplace where:

• Sensory needs are accommodated

• Communication styles are understood

• Leadership looks different but is equally respected

The hustle doesn't make you powerful. Knowing your limits, regulating your nervous system, and owning your edge? That does.

Reclaiming Your Leadership

You do not need to change who you are to be a leader, and you do not need to apologize for it.

Start here:

• Track what drains you. Identify the hidden friction in your day.

• Create sensory-friendly rituals—lighting, sound, and texture matter.

• Find a safe space where you can decompress, especially after attending overstimulating meetings or events.

• Unmask with intention. Pick safe spaces where you can be real.

• Redefine success. Does your current definition include your well-being?

  
  

Final Thoughts

Success shouldn't require self-erasure.

If you're done contorting yourself to meet outdated norms, you're not alone. The path forward isn't about grinding harder. It's about leading from alignment, not exhaustion.

Need a place to start? Join us here at The Superwoman Society the space for professional neurodivergent women.

References:

• Engel-Yeger, B., & Rosenblum, S. (2022). The role of sensory processing in daily life performance among women with burnout. Frontiers in Psychology.

• Employment Autism. (n.d.). Managing sensory issues at work.

• Bakker, A. B., & van der Linden, D. (2022). Burnout and job performance: The moderating role of sensory-processing sensitivity.