Signals from the Inside Out: Issue 3: The Body’s Private Notes
A newsletter series from Dr Miriam Mavia-Zając, Chartered Psychologist & Founder of Neurodiverse You
How burnout, “laziness,” and sensory shutdowns speak in code, and what your body’s been trying to tell you all along.
From the Pages I Wrote (and Some I Never Published)
There’s a particular kind of person I write this for:
- The one who’s never been lazy a day in their life, yet feels judged by every unread email, every blinking notification, every delayed reply that whispers, you’re behind again.
- The one whose body sends polite warnings, tight chest, blurry focus, skipped meals, until it starts shouting when rest is ignored for the fifth time this week.
- The one who keeps rallying, finding one more burst of energy, keeping one more promise, until the system quietly folds in on itself.
- The ones who can’t afford collapse, yet find themselves crawling through days their brain once sprinted through.
- The ones praised for coping, but never asked if they’re okay.
Maybe that’s you.
Maybe it’s someone you love.
Either way, this is a message from the body.
Not the poetic kind. The neurobiological one.
Let’s talk about what it’s been trying to say.
When the Nervous System Starts Taking Notes
Burnout doesn’t burst in like a fire alarm.
It negotiates.
First, it’s subtle:
- A skipped meal.
- A half-done sentence.
- A growing to-do list with teeth.
Then it whispers: Just push through.
And when pushing becomes your primary strategy, the body eventually stops asking.
It starts withdrawing.
To the outside world, this can look like flakiness, low motivation, or poor time management.
To the one inside it, it’s quiet collapse in slow motion.
It shows up as:
-
Muscles that have been clenched for days
-
A brain once sharp, now fumbling names
-
The inability to rest and the inability to function… coexisting.
And here’s the cruel twist: high-capacity neurodivergent adults often don’t collapse in obvious ways.
Their burnout looks like:
- Showing up with a frozen smile
- Meeting deadlines while feeling like a husk
- Quietly, invisibly disappearing
**
“Burnout is not a failure of willpower. It’s a boundary set by biology.”**
— Dr Miriam Mavia-Zając
This newsletter is for the ones who’ve been pushing past tired for the fifth time this week, and the ones watching them, confused how someone so capable could be so worn down.
You’re not imagining it.
And it’s not weakness.
It’s the cost of translating distress into performance… until the translation stops working.
From the Research Drawer
Many people know The Body Keeps the Score.
But fewer realise how ADHD and autism can mimic or amplify trauma’s physiology.
Here’s a glimpse:
- Chronic stress = cortisol imbalance → brain fog, low immunity, pain
- Dopamine depletion = task friction + emotional volatility
- Sensory overload = shutdown and freeze mistaken for rudeness or avoidance
Research shows ND nervous systems often take longer to return to baseline after stress.
The war ends. The body stays armed.
And still, we label ourselves “lazy.”
A Mirror You Might Recognise
Have you ever felt:
- Like you have no energy until you hyperfocus?
- Numb when resting, but jittery when trying to start?
- Caught between overpromising and ghosting?
- Like you’ve needed a sick day, but had no “justifiable” symptom?
That’s not random. That’s not failure.
That’s your nervous system sending a memo:
“We’ve passed the limit. Please pay attention.”
It’s not just stress.
It’s strategy.
Your body developed survival moves when no one else protected it.
Gentle Practice: The Internal Inbox
Try this 3-step check-in I use with therapy clients and coaching partners:
- Notice one body signal you usually override (e.g., jaw tension, shallow breath, loss of hunger cues).
- Name what it might be saying:
- “This doesn’t feel safe.”
- “I need a pause, not a nap.”
- “I’m scared I can’t sustain this.”
- Offer a small but meaningful response.
- Water.
- Five minutes of silence.
- A clear no.
- A slower yes.
You’re not trying to “fix” yourself.
You’re learning your own language.
From the Wider World
If this resonated, you might also like:
- Rest Is Resistance – Tricia Hersey (The Nap Ministry)
- Your Body Is Trying to Talk – Devon Price (Neurodivergent Insights podcast)
- NDY Blog: Why Am I Always Hot? – The Dopaminergic Thermostat
- NDY Blog: The Safe-Food Loop – When Eating Isn’t Just About Taste
Let’s Make This a Two-Way Conversation
What signals does your body send—but you’ve learned to ignore?
What’s helped you tune back in?
What would you tell your younger self (or your child) about listening to your body?
Hit Reply or DM me on Instagram — I read every message.
We might share a few community tips in the next issue (with permission, of course).
Coming Up Next:
Fuel for a Neuro-Spicy Brain: Why some ND brains run on snacks, stall without sugar, or crave crunch—and how to feed the body and the nervous system without shame.
Until then:
Be kind to the instrument that carries you.
With care,
Dr Miriam Mavia-Zając
Consultant Chartered Psychologist | Founder of Neurodiverse You
If you feel moved to share a room you now carry, you can email me at [email protected] I read every one. Or simply leave a comment on this post below.
Make sure you don’t miss out on our next newsletter
Signup to the Neurodiverse You Newsletter
You might also be interested in…
Our Assessment & Follow-up Services
Neurodiverse You offers timely, comprehensive ADHD, ASD & AuDHD Assessment, Diagnosis, Reporting & Coaching services for children over 10 yrs of age and adults. We also provide run regular support groups in partnership with ADHD UK.
Visit our Services Page to find out more.
