“I’ve only ever worked full-time for two years… and by the end of it, I was an absolute zombie and I couldn’t function.”
Caitlin Hughes spent years trying to meet traditional expectations around work and productivity. But pushing herself into full-time work led to burnout, exhaustion, and losing the ability to function. In this episode, she shares how discovering her autism, ADHD, and giftedness changed the way she approaches work, energy, and self-expectations.
From late diagnosis and grief to redefining consistency, building a part-time work model, and designing work around her brain, this conversation explores what sustainable productivity actually looks like for neurodivergent people.
Caitlin Hughes is a multi-exceptional autistic, ADHD, and gifted accredited mental health social worker, founder of Cathartic Collaborations, and a PhD candidate at Queensland University of Technology. Her work focuses on autistic mental health and neuro-affirming practice, combining lived experience, clinical work, and research to support neurodivergent individuals.
Episode Highlights
00:02:00 — Discovering neurodivergence through client work
Caitlin shares how working closely with autistic and ADHD clients led her to recognize similar patterns in herself. A training video became a turning point, helping her connect her childhood experiences to autism for the first time.
00:04:00 — The grief and self-compassion after late diagnosis
Receiving a diagnosis in her thirties brought both clarity and grief. Understanding her neurodivergence helped her replace self-judgment with compassion and reframe past struggles.
00:08:30 — Realizing she could only sustain part-time work
After pushing through full-time work and burning out, Caitlin recognized her limits. Accepting a reduced work capacity allowed her to show up more consistently and sustainably.
00:10:00 — Managing energy instead of just managing time
She explains how productivity is not just about hours worked but the type of work and level of social interaction involved. Balancing client work with deep, independent research helps her regulate energy.
00:16:00 — Redefining consistency in a neurodivergent way
Instead of rigid routines, Caitlin defines consistency as checking in with her capacity each day. This flexible approach prevents burnout and supports long-term progress.
00:33:30 — Designing work around your brain, not the other way around
She emphasizes the importance of building work structures that align with individual needs rather than forcing yourself into traditional systems. For her, sustainability is more important than productivity metrics.
Connect with Caitlin:
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Episode 136