Welcome to this week’s episode, we’re flipping the script on hustle culture and asking a bold question: Is 'hustle culture' totally toxic for neurodivergent brains?
We're looking at neurodivergent productivity tips to help you escape hustle culture! Learn how to manage energy, prevent burnout, and redefine success on your terms with practical advice and real-life strategies.
In a world obsessed with faster, bigger, and more, it’s easy to get caught up in hustle culture — the endless race to do all the things, all the time. But what if there was another way? A healthier, more sustainable approach to business that values quality over quantity, creativity over constant output, and wellbeing over burnout?
Neurodivergent individuals often thrive when they can work with their natural rhythms, rather than against rigid schedules or unrealistic expectations. Traditional hustle culture is all about speed, constant output, and 24/7 availability, which is a recipe for burnout, anxiety, and overwhelm for ND brains. We know, we have both been there and unfortunately got several ill-fitting t-shirts (with stains!).
If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly behind, not doing “enough,” or trapped in a cycle of work that drains your energy and joy, this episode is for you whether ND or not.
We're deliving into what productivity really means for neurodivergent folks, and spoiler alert: it’s NOT about grinding 24/7 or chasing someone else’s idea of success. From energy-based scheduling tips that actually work, to why “slow business” might just save your sanity.
Just like the slow food movement emerged as a response to the rush of fast food, the idea of Slow Business pushes back against the "go-go-go" mindset of modern work. It's about intentional growth, making thoughtful choices, and building a business that works with your energy and values - not against them. Instead of sprinting toward someone else's definition of success, Slow Business invites you to pause, breathe, and create at your own pace, while still thriving.
So sit back and listen to us as we plough through a plethora of personal anecdotes and hopeful help you redefine success on your terms along the way, this episode is packed with real talk, laughs, and some strong rants along the way.
Share with anyone who’s ready to leave hustle culture behind and build a healthier, happier way to work!
Don't forget to like, share and subscribe and send any questions or suggestions to: [email protected]
Or follow along on the socials see low timeline for details.
00:02:30 - The Gen Pop Struggle
00:04:03 - Topic of the Week
00:05:30 - Asking is "Hustle Culture" toxic for NDs?
00:07:00 - In business, when is enough, ENOUGH?
00:08:45 - Who conned us into needing all this shit?
00:10:05 - Who gets to define our success?
00:11:28 - Lifestyle risk, risking your health for little reward?
00:13:30 - Fast Food = Fast Business, introducing Slow Business
00:16:19 - Defining 'slow business' and redefining productivity
00:17:03 - Stuart's rant about productivity, and sustainability. Buckle up.
00:20:04 - Why this need for more? When is 'just enough' going to be OK?
00:20:55 - Stuart breathes and Hannah gets a word in...
00:20:56 - Redefining productivity... Hannah looks at ND productivity
00:22:03 - Rejecting the paradigm - forget 'hustle', 'happiness' the ultimate success metric
00:24:00 - Stu on tracking mood, energy management and the stress of "success"
00:24:41 - Stu story from working in the trenchs of the entertainment industry
00:25:45 - Paying the price of success with your health, the trap of youthful energy.
00:26:55 - Lifestyle inflation and brunout, stepping away from the corporate grind.
00:27:25 - NDs clash with traditional productivity "standards" & the struggle with work
00:28:07 - Exploring ND energy mapping, coping strategies to prevent burnout
00:29:00 - Output alone is a poor measure of productivity for NDs
00:29:43 - Creatives are not Monday morning people and musing on the muse
00:31:12 - Spending time with Hannah doesn't feel like work
00:31:50 - Why more? Dying with a million but your kids are strangers. Did you Win?
00:32:00 - Hannah's business coaching story, free but fun!
00:32:37 - Judging work on the joy that it brings, not solely on the cash it makes
00:33:30 - Energy based scheduling tips for NDs from lived experience that works
00:34:50 - Working out what works best, works best when planning your energy rhythms
00:35:21 - Hannah's blog writing is on FIRE! Celebrating the deep focus win!
00:36:12 - Air pockets of energy, leading to creative inspiration at ANY TIME!
00:37:31 - How the routine of 9-5 is not ND friendly, and...
00:38:30 - Why the 3-off 4-on work- week works for NDs and why it is better
00:41:50 - THE POWER OF BOREDOM AND THE ND BRAINIUM!
00:43:10 - The flexible approach to your "To Do" list and dopamine hits
00:45:08 - Hustle culture, toxic mindset and the younger generation
00:47:36 - You're too much... but your productivity is not enough?
00:49:30 - Who decides what is "too much"? and "Why the suits"?
00:51:30 - Support stockings and why stupid questions deserve stupid answers
00:55:55 - Touring with a wheelchair and disability training
00:57:29 - Here's a thought, let's all be a kinder to each other and ourselves
00:58:52 - Why judging "productivity" by someone elses outward displays of "success" is wrong
01:00:11 - Is comparison the thief of joy, even with productivity?
01:01:30 - The lesson that running taught Stu about productivity and managing my time/stress
01:04:55 - Round up and close, like share and subscribe.
RESOURCES
https://bigmoosecharity.co - Emergency mental health support, Big Moose provides fast and effective therapy for people who are struggling.
https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests - if this topic responates perhaps you might want to look into the subject a little more. Use these tests to have a clearer understanding of your own neurotype profile.
https://notyourgrandmas.co.uk - funky compression socks, as worn by the host, not a sponsor.
Our range resources and helpful guides can be accessed here: https://businessoddcast.com/help/
businessoddcast.com
youtube.com/BusinessOddcast
facebook.com/BusinessOddcast
instagram.com/BusinessOddcast