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Neurodivergence and Rest as Rebellion

  • Writer: Kritika Bhatia
    Kritika Bhatia
  • Apr 18
  • 6 min read

Updated: Apr 20

A brain that works differently from the one that is deemed as “normal” through the lens of social convention is called a neurodivergent brain. Neurodivergence includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and many more. The typical social constructs and expectations have labelled neurodivergence as a hindering and disadvantageous condition to lead a ‘normal life'. This perception is based upon the conviction of rest, which is an important segment in the lifestyle of neurodivergents, as they tend to get exhausted more frequently than neurotypicals. This lifestyle makes so-called ‘normal’ people alienate them. Thomas Armstrong (2015) articulates that there is no archetype or a first model of the brain that acts as a standard representation of a ‘normal brain’. He strongly emphasises the notion that neurodivergent people tend to perform extraordinarily in many aspects and curricula throughout their lives.

Through this research article, we are going to spotlight the struggles and perspectives of neurodivergent individuals while exploring how simply resting is an act of resistance for neurodivergent people.


From the Neurodivergent lens

Often, neurodivergent people are forced to put on a mask just to meet the neurotypical standards. Many individuals who fail to fit in that boat eventually fail to meet social conformity. This starts from a very early age in the life of a neurodivergent individual. The system is programmed to be mastered by neurotypicals, while at the same time it blatantly chooses not to incorporate and acknowledge the needs, struggles and abilities of those with neurodivergence.

In their book Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, Grandin and Barron (2005) note that neurotypicals are born with what is known as social sense, and/or get skilled at it by observation and interplay. This social sense assists them in establishing verbal and non-verbal communication. For the autistic students, learning happens through candid and optic exposition. It is a hindering challenge for them to learn through the cage of observation and interaction. 

“If you ask a fish to climb a tree, it will go through life thinking it's an idiot. So if you asked me to do something which I am constitutionally incapable of doing, that is the failure of management, not a failure of me,” comments Colm Mcnamee, a neurodiversity activist and Cuimsiú (Inclusion) Employability Mentor at Fast Track into Information Technology (FIT), diagnosed with autism and ADHD (Howard, 2023). 


The Burnout and The Rest

In an interview, Dr. Pope-Ruark puts forth that neurodivergent individuals are constantly stressed about appearing normal and that is the most common reason for burnout in them. (Pryal, 2024). If burnouts are more frequent and common in neurodivergents, then it is also necessary that they take adequate breaks and rest. 

“Rest is not idle, not wasteful. Sometimes rest is the most productive thing you can do for your body and soul.” — Erica Layne

Rest is a rebellion for neurodivergent people against the societal expectations of normality. It is a resistance against burnout, anxiety and exhaustion. When productivity culture is designed for neurotypicals, rest helps neurodivergents in reclaiming their agency. Rest is more than just a break; rest helps foster a deeper connection with oneself and establishes a strong stance against societal demands of forcefully ‘adjusting’ into the system framed for neurotypicals.

Taare Zameen Par (2007)
Taare Zameen Par (2007)

Portraying the struggles and the narrative of an 8-year-old child, Ishaan Awasthi, played by Darsheel Safary, who is dyslexic and is expected to adapt to a neurotypical arrangement, the Bollywood film Taare Zameen Par (2007) explores neurodivergence and rest.

In the film, Ishaan felt unheard, unseen and misunderstood. His family, especially his father, had a rigid approach towards him due to the societal standards of normalcy. The discouraging attitude of his teachers and parents, alongside his mental ineptitude, made him academically slow, which was misinterpreted as an intentional act to escape studies. 

Considered to be an  “unproductive” child, his true self refuses to be useful in the way the world expects. Living in a state of wonder, his curiosity, imagination, and sensitivity reflect a kind of existence that's not outcome-driven. The obligation to act against his temperament made Ishaan feel suffocated at his school, playground and home. To escape this, he bunked school, wandered through the streets, played and spent time with animals, daydreamed and caught fish, things usually boring to kids his age. He loved colours and often made exceptionally beautiful art pieces that received little to no appreciation. For Ishaan, rest was defined by creativity, colours, the company of animals, and roaming free. 

Rest is different for neurodivergents as compared to neurotypicals. A neurotypical rest may involve doing a little work, but a neurodivergent rest is tailored for each neurodiverse individual according to their needs. While some neurodivergents may  need subtle stimulation, others may completely distance themselves from it.

Smitha Murthy, an author and co-founder of MyndStories, in one of her LinkedIn posts, talks about her intense burnout that hinders her as a neurodivergent. Putting forward an unfiltered experience of burnout, she writes about her sleep, relentlessly being compromised, conversations that end up opening the door to exhaustion and anxiety, and being hypersensitive to even the slightest noise and bright light. Her body becomes feeble even though she’s a healthy individual. While talking about her personal experience, she remarks that burnouts are much more common in neurodivergents and usually occur because of social pressure, frequent masking, and perpetual sensory constraints. She also opens up on how people usually misread her when she is channelling through burnouts, making assumptions about her being rude, and her intensely sensitive emotions are reckoned to be a cover for her behaviours and responses by others. 

To not appear ‘abnormal’ and lazy, neurodivergents often sideline their personal needs. When they need rest, they overwork. Stimming, which works as resistance to burnout, is also avoided by them. Stimming, aka self-stimulatory repetitive actions and behaviours that involves hand flapping, finger tapping, fidgeting, repeating words and many more is a soothing behaviour for many neurodivergent folks. “Stimming seemed to give autistic people a mechanism of behavioural control to self-regulate a state of emotional hyperarousal, amid a bombardment of overwhelming stimuli”, says Steven K Kapp (2019), after his research experiment on autistic children.


Conclusion 

The judgments, misconceptions, and expectations to perform normalcy have deeply wounded the growth and uniqueness of neurodiverse people.

The stigmatisation of rest, stimming and many more activities that benefit them are disregarded, which many-a-times affects and leads to intensive burnouts. According to the  WHO (2021),  1 in 3 people worldwide have neurological conditions. This is a big number, and this also means that many people around us are masking themselves in the shame that comes along. The system is not at all accommodating for them. People are not compassionate towards them.

In the Bollywood film Hichki (2018), Naina (played by Rani Mukherjee) is constantly shamed and mocked for having Tourette's Syndrome. Everyone thought mocking her was ‘normal’, while her harmless tics were ‘abnormal’. The presumption that a neurodiverse lifestyle is something to be rectified and cured is problematic, and that presumption needs to be challenged. People need to get educated on neurodiversity from an early age, so that they can shape an environment which is compassionate and inclusive to everyone. While we have a few associations that incorporate and practice DEI, we still have a long way to go. 



Bibliography


This research article is brought to you by © The Gal Gala.
This research article is brought to you by © The Gal Gala.

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