#48⏲️ Burnout - Buying Time
An exploration of how money, time, and technology can help us take our first steps to recovery.
Welcome to Tech Atypically 👋, your weekly blog that helps navigate the challenges of ADHD and being in the tech industry.
Part 3 of the Coping with Burnout series.
🌋Takeaways
ADHD apps help people get the support they need by making care more accessible.
“It's really that cathartic experience of coming into a community where you don't feel broken. Realizing there are others just like you. You start to deeply understand your ADHD and how it manifests.” -Levi Epstein
Burnout traps you in a cycle - exhaustion leaves you too tired to make changes yet change feels like the only escape.
Will an app completely fix your burnout? There's a chance, but no guarantees. What matters most is taking a step toward finding what works for you.
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Disclaimer, this story is based on an interview I did with a co-founder of Inflow ADHD. This article is not meant to be an endorsement of their product but an example of how to reduce barriers to care. I received no financial compensation for this interview and the interview was self-initiated.
TLDR: I’m not important enough for anyone to pay me for a sponsored post.
⭐Introduction
“Remember that time is money” - Benjamin Franklin
Burnout often leaves you starved for time - time for hobbies, loved ones, and self-care. Today, I explore one way you can use money to buy time and get care for ADHD burnout.
Specifically, I discuss the Inflow ADHD app and its approach to providing ADHD care. I spoke with Inflow co-founder Levi Epstein to understand how their company uses technology to make ADHD care more accessible by providing on-demand care.
My goal is to shed light on the difficulties many face in getting ADHD care, and how technology can help people get the support they need by making care more accessible.
⏲️I don’t have time for this
When you're burned out, it can feel impossible to find the time and energy for big changes, like finding a new job.
Ironically, you may believe a new job will fix your burnout. But when exhausted, job hunting feels impossible. Your burned-out mind convinces you there's no time to help yourself.
Burnout traps you in a cycle - exhaustion leaves you too tired to make changes yet change feels like the only escape.
⏲️It’s not you, the challenges are real
Trying to access ADHD therapy and medication is challenging right now.
There’s a shortage of psychiatrists, therapists, and ADHD medication across the US. Access is even worse if you are from a minority or marginalized group.
If you are able to get care, the treatment is often medication through a “one size fits all treatment. While medication is powerful for a lot of people…it doesn’t solve the full spectrum of care for people” says Inflow co-founder Levi.
In other words, even if you’ve overcome the barriers to care, you’re often not offered all the solutions possible.
This description reflects my own lived experience. My psychiatrist never mentioned other methods of care besides stimulant medication. I found out about ADHD coaching, non-stimulant medications, mindfulness, and other resources on my own.
⏲️Can an ADHD app buy me time?
Yes. What it buys you is immediate access to resources and care. In the case of Inflow, you get the following right away.
Self-guided Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) learning modules
1-1 coaching via texting or video calls
Community activities (body doubling, talks)
There are probably more features I haven’t mentioned. The main point though is you get access to help right away.
Within minutes of signing up, you can start your road to burnout recovery with professional help. No phone calls or begging are required.
I can't speak to its effectiveness personally, as I only used the free trial. I’m also not the target customer.
But I did experience the "Aha moment" that Levi describes Inflow strives to create:
“It's really that cathartic experience of coming into a community where you don't feel broken. Realizing there are others just like you. You start to deeply understand your ADHD and how it manifests.”
There was a sense of peace and excitement connecting with others like me. And joy that I saved hours from blindly searching online for help.
✨Conclusion
Can spending money on technology help you buy time? Yes, when it’s spent on tools that provide you faster access to care.
ADHD technology like Inflow and Shimmer offers a new way to overcome the barrier of having time to find care.
Will it completely fix your burnout? There's a chance, but no guarantees. What matters most is taking a step toward finding what works for you.
It's one more step towards recovery. One of many small steps you'll take on your journey back to yourself.
Get to walking.
A big thank you to Nafis and Levi at Inflow for helping make this story possible.
This is the first time I’m publishing an article from an interview. Let me know in the comments what you think and if you’d like more interview issues in the future.
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⏭️Next Week
How to take the first step in finding a new job.