“I don't feel like I can do all the things that I used to do, and I'm still me. So this is very confusing.”

Eliana Bravos shares what neurodivergent burnout actually felt like, how it disrupted her sense of self, and why pushing harder only made things worse.

If you’ve experienced ADHD burnout, chronic overwhelm, identity loss, or the fear that you “can’t do what you used to anymore,” this episode explores what burnout really is, why it happens, and how community, self-accommodation, and nervous-system-aware work design

Eliana Bravos is the co-founder of ND Connect, a community platform helping neurodivergent adults form meaningful, supportive relationships. A social impact entrepreneur with an Honors Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, she has supported over 1,000 leaders in building more accessible cultures and has facilitated non-hierarchical peer programs for neurodivergent people since 2018.

Episode Highlights

00:07:00 — When something inside you breaks
Eliana describes pushing her body past its limits for so long that it felt like something inside her broke. She explains the confusion of still being “herself,” but no longer being able to do what she used to.

00:04:08 — Finding hope through a neurodivergent mentor
Meeting a mentor with ADHD changed how Eliana saw her future. Seeing someone thriving on their own terms made happiness feel possible again.

00:09:24 — Why working from home changed everything
She explains how overstimulation in school and offices made focus nearly impossible. Having control over her environment finally allowed her to concentrate and conserve energy.

00:23:04 — Outsourcing what you’re bad at
Eliana shares why being a non-solo founder is essential for her. Letting others handle operations and admin frees her to work in her strengths.

00:25:58 — Creating communication boundaries
She talks about scheduling email time, setting expectations, and preferring calls over long message threads. Clear communication norms reduce overwhelm.

00:34:17 — Struggling with sleep hygiene
Eliana explains why nighttime routines are hard and how she often falls asleep to shows. Sleep remains a major work in progress.

Connect with Eliana:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliana-bravos/

Website: https://www.ndconnect.app/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elianahyperfixates/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eliana_focus

Connect with Jeremy:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy

Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

More from Focus Bear:

Website: https://focusbear.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearapp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_bear/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusbearapp/

Calm on the outside. Spiraling on the inside.

Dilpreet Buxi shares what it was like to grow up masking anxiety, living with a constantly racing mind, and slowly realizing his nervous system works differently.

If you struggle with chronic stress, masking, emotional dysregulation, or feeling “fine” while everything feels too much inside, this episode explores why stress begins in the body, how autistic and ADHD nervous systems process stress differently, and what actually helps.

Dilpreet Buxi is the CEO and Co-founder of Philia Labs, a Melbourne-based company using wearable technology and biomedical engineering to make stress measurable and manageable. With a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Monash University, his work focuses on supporting autistic people, people with anxiety, and their caregivers through objective stress measurement and early intervention.

Episode Highlights:

00:03:05 — Masking anxiety behind calm
He describes learning to appear calm while feeling deeply stressed inside. The disconnect between outer presentation and inner reality shaped how he understood himself.

00:07:27 — Realizing he may be neurodivergent
After pivoting his company toward supporting autistic people, he began recognizing the same patterns in his own life. Reading about nervous system differences forced uncomfortable self-reflection.

00:13:00 — Choosing to pivot or shut down
After hearing caregiver stories, the team faced a choice: pivot or wind down the company. The decision became personal when his co-founder connected the mission to his autistic brother.

00:19:00 — Acute vs chronic stress
He explains the difference between moment-to-moment stress and stress that reshapes the body over months. Chronic stress quietly drives fatigue, sleep problems, and emotional dysregulation.

00:24:16 — You can’t outthink stress
Stress regulation starts in the body, not the mind. Movement, breathing, and vagus-nerve-stimulating practices matter more than positive thinking.

00:32:23 — Winding down for real sleep
Evening yoga, meditation, gratitude, and keeping the phone out of reach help his nervous system switch into rest mode. Better sleep becomes the foundation for everything else.

Connect with Dilpreet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dilpreet-buxi/
Website: https://solutions.philialabs.com.au/

Connect with Jeremy:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy

Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

More from Focus Bear:

Website: https://focusbear.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearapp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_bear/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusbearapp/

Podcast: https://podcast.focusbear.io

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@focusbear

Time isn’t your greatest resource. Focused curiosity is.

In this episode, Sridhar Dhanapalan shares how being late-diagnosed with autism and ADHD reshaped his approach to focus, motivation, emotional regulation, and productivity at work. We talk about “focused curiosity” as a core resource, hyperfocus as both a gift and risk, the role of purpose-driven alignment, and practical strategies like focus modes, yoga rituals, and Gmail Priority Inbox to reduce overwhelm and protect deep work.

Sridhar Dhanapalan is an Enterprise Agile Coach at IBM Consulting and a mindset coach who helps teams and individuals align purpose, values, and execution. He brings a “thinking-first” approach to productivity and leadership, with lived experience as a neurodivergent parent and late-diagnosed autistic + ADHD adult.

Episode Highlights:

00:01:00 — Late diagnosis as an opportunity for growth
Sridhar shares that he was diagnosed with autism under 12 months ago, and ADHD about 10 months ago. Instead of treating it as a setback, he frames it as a curiosity-driven opportunity to grow and better support his neurodivergent children.

00:04:00 — Screeners missed ADHD… but the full assessment didn’t
He explains how ADHD screeners showed “nothing,” even though something clearly felt missing. He took a chance on a full ADHD assessment anyway, and it revealed ADHD, which clarified patterns he’d struggled to explain for years.

00:06:00 — “Time isn’t our greatest resource. Focused curiosity is.”
Sridhar challenges the common idea that time is the most valuable resource. For him, the key is turning curiosity into a laser: compartmentalizing attention and focusing curiosity is what unlocked sustained growth and confidence.

00:09:00 — Hyperfocus: superpower AND kryptonite
He describes hyperfocus as incredibly productive, but dangerous without strict boundaries. When he doesn’t put time limits around it, he burns out, stays up too late, crashes, and loses momentum the next day.

00:11:00 — Emotional regulation is the foundation for clear thinking
Sridhar explains why calming the nervous system matters: emotions fire first, and critical thinking only works well once the mind is regulated. Yoga, breathing, and mindfulness become practical tools for keeping the “fast brain” from hijacking decision-making.

00:18:00 — Productivity begins with “thinking first” and purpose
He argues most productivity advice focuses too much on implementation (“do, do, do”). His approach starts with purpose and alignment first, so decisions become simpler and focus becomes easier to protect.

00:24:00 — Automating focus: do-not-disturb + yoga rituals
Sridhar shares how he uses focus mode and automation to reduce friction. For example, his phone automatically switches to do-not-disturb during yoga so he can create space mentally without distractions.

00:26:00 — Email overwhelm solution: Gmail Priority Inbox
He recommends Priority Inbox as a surprisingly powerful tool that most people ignore. Training the inbox helps him focus on what matters and mentally categorize everything else as “other,” reducing overload.

00:29:00 — Motivation hack: use “towards” AND “away from”
Sridhar explains motivation as both purpose-driven movement toward a goal and awareness of the pain of staying stuck. The key is defining the “towards” first so “away from” doesn’t turn into anxious chaos and avoidance.

00:41:00 — Final message: create space + be kind to yourself
He closes with a grounded summary: build space in your mind, focus your curiosity (especially inward), practice self-compassion, and remember everyone experiences the world through different internal “maps.”

Connect with Sridhar:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sridhard/

Connect with Jeremy:
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy
Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

More from Focus Bear:
Website: https://focusbear.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearapp
Twitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_bear/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusbearapp/
Podcast: https://podcast.focusbear.io
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@focusbear