Understanding the Boom-and-Bust Cycle of Overworking
If you’re someone who’s driven, hardworking, and deeply invested in doing well — at work, in your relationships, in life — it can be incredibly frustrating to find yourself burned out or stuck.
You might be moving at full speed for days or weeks at a time, crossing things off your list, running on adrenaline, doing more than most people can keep up with — and then suddenly, you hit a wall. Your energy crashes. You can’t concentrate. You feel tired, unmotivated, and emotionally overwhelmed.
This experience is more common than you might think, especially among high-achieving professionals and individuals with ADHD. It’s known as the boom-and-bust cycle — and if this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
What Is the Boom-and-Bust Cycle?
The boom-and-bust cycle describes a pattern of alternating periods of intense focus and energy (the “boom”) followed by depletion, shutdown, and exhaustion (the “bust”).
It might look like:
Working 12-hour days during a big project… Then spending the next weekend completely wiped out
Feeling energized and productive one week… And then disconnected or disorganized the next
Getting stuck in all-or-nothing patterns: Either “on” and over-functioning, or “off” and overwhelmed
For people with ADHD, this pattern can be especially intense — and difficult to break.
How ADHD Affects Work and Energy
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how the brain processes attention, emotion, motivation, and time. While it’s often described as a focus disorder, it’s more accurate to say that ADHD is an interest-based brain — one that tends to respond more strongly to what is stimulating, urgent, or emotionally engaging.
This can lead to periods of hyperfocus, where someone with ADHD becomes intensely absorbed in a task or project. Hyperfocus can feel productive and exciting, and in many cases, it’s one of the reasons people with ADHD are highly creative, driven, and successful.
But without intentional boundaries, hyperfocus can easily lead to burnout. When your energy and dopamine stores run out, the crash comes fast — and it’s not always easy to recover.
Why Overworking Often Feels Unavoidable
You may be someone who holds themselves to high standards. You might feel pressure to prove yourself, keep up appearances, or “make the most” of your time.
If you’ve grown up in environments where rest wasn’t valued — or where your worth was tied to your productivity — it can feel almost impossible to slow down. The nervous system gets used to being in a state of high alert. It can even start to feel unsafe to rest.
But here’s the truth: Overworking is not sustainable. Even when it looks successful on the outside, the emotional and physiological costs are real.
These might include:
Trouble sleeping or relaxing
Increased anxiety, irritability, or emotional dysregulation
Difficulty managing time, focus, or follow-through
Feelings of shame, guilt, or self-criticism when you “slow down”
A sense of disconnection from yourself, your goals, or your relationships
You’re Not Lazy — You’re Depleted
One of the most painful aspects of the boom-and-bust cycle is what happens emotionally after the crash. Many people feel ashamed that they “can’t keep up” with the pace they’ve set. You might blame yourself for losing momentum, feeling tired, or being inconsistent — even though you’ve just used up more energy than your system can replenish.
This is where therapy can help. When we work together, I support clients in identifying their unique patterns, creating sustainable rhythms, and building a new relationship with work, motivation, and rest — one that’s rooted in compassion, not criticism.
Steps Toward Breaking the Boom-and-Bust Cycle
You don’t need to figure it all out alone. But if you’re starting to notice this pattern, here are a few small ways you can begin to support yourself:
1. Start checking in with your body regularly
Pause every hour or two and ask:
Am I hungry? Thirsty? Do I need a break? Am I holding my breath or clenching my jaw?
2. Set a stop time for work — and keep it
Even if you feel like you “could keep going,” practicing stopping before you're fully depleted helps your body build a new rhythm of safety and sustainability.
3. Expect recovery time
If you’ve been in a busy or hyperfocused period, proactively schedule rest and down time — even if it feels inconvenient. Your future self will thank you.
4. Be gentle with yourself in a bust period
You are not lazy or unmotivated. You are recovering. The more you soften into this, the easier it becomes to reset.
How Therapy Can Help
If you’re feeling trapped in patterns of overworking, burnout, or inconsistent energy, you’re not broken — and you don’t have to navigate this alone.
In therapy, we can:
Identify what triggers your boom-and-bust cycles
Explore how ADHD, family dynamics, or perfectionism might be shaping your patterns
Develop personalized pacing strategies that honor both your ambition and your well-being
Build self-trust and emotional resilience — so you can rest without guilt and work without burnout
You deserve to feel in control of your time and energy — and to live in a way that’s aligned with your goals, values, and nervous system.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If this sounds familiar and you’re ready to work through it in a safe, supportive space, I invite you to reach out for a free 15-minute phone consultation.
I offer individual therapy for New York and Florida professionals navigating ADHD, anxiety, burnout, and self-worth challenges — with a compassionate, mindfulness-based approach.
Let’s help you break the cycle and build something more sustainable.