I can’t tell if I’m burned out or just bad at managing life

This confusion is very understandable, especially for adults with ADHD. Burnout and ADHD often overlap in ways that make them hard to separate. Chronic effort, constant self correction, and years of compensating can lead to exhaustion that looks like poor motivation or failure, even when it is actually depletion. ADHD makes everyday tasks require more mental energy, so people can become burned out doing things that others find manageable. When burnout sets in, executive functioning gets worse, which then looks like worsening ADHD, creating a frustrating loop. If you are constantly exhausted despite trying, this is not a personal failing. It usually means the demands placed on you exceed the supports you have. Addressing burnout often requires reducing load, increasing structure, or adding support rather than trying harder.