Are you heading toward burnout — or already there? Take our evidence-based 12-question assessment across 4 key dimensions and get a personalized burnout risk score with an action plan to protect your health and performance.
Burnout is a state of chronic workplace stress characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy — distinct from ordinary tiredness. This assessment scores twelve Likert-style items across four dimensions: exhaustion, detachment, reduced accomplishment, and physical stress symptoms. Each item contributes one to five points; dimension subscores and a total percentage map to risk bands from low through moderate, elevated, and high. Clinical burnout instruments such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory use similar constructs; this tool offers an educational screen, not a psychiatric diagnosis. Scores above roughly 60–70% on the composite scale generally warrant structured recovery planning and professional support consideration. Scores reflect self-reported experience over recent weeks and may fluctuate with season and workload. The framework aligns conceptually with established burnout inventories used in occupational health research. Elevated results suggest reviewing boundaries and support systems rather than labeling yourself permanently.
Worked example: If your twelve responses average 3.5 on the five-point scale, the raw total is 42 of 60 possible points — 70% — placing you in an elevated burnout-risk band where workload boundaries and recovery blocks become priorities.
1 = Never / 5 = Always. Be honest — this is for your benefit.
Evidence-based interventions to prevent and recover from burnout.
A high score signals sustained mismatch between demands and recovery resources — not personal weakness. Dimension breakdowns show whether exhaustion, cynicism, or efficacy loss dominates, which guides different interventions. Retake after four to six weeks of deliberate changes to see if scores shift.
Create non-negotiable "off" time daily and weekly. Research shows that true psychological detachment from work — not just physically leaving — is essential for preventing exhaustion from accumulating.
Most burnout comes from the inability to decline requests. Practice saying "no" or "not now" without guilt. Protecting your capacity is not selfishness — it's what makes sustained excellent performance possible.
Cynicism is a burnout symptom driven by lost meaning. Reconnect with why your work matters — the people it helps, the problems it solves. Meaning is a powerful buffer against emotional exhaustion.
Burnout explained.
The classic triad: emotional exhaustion (feeling depleted and empty), depersonalization/cynicism (detaching from work and people), and reduced personal accomplishment (feeling ineffective and lacking achievement). Physical symptoms often include chronic fatigue, frequent illness, headaches, and sleep disruption.
Stress is characterized by overengagement ("too much") — urgency and anxiety with some positive emotions still present. Burnout is characterized by disengagement ("not enough") — emptiness, futility, and hopelessness. Prolonged, unmanaged stress leads to burnout.
Recovery typically takes 3–12 months depending on severity. Mild burnout may resolve with 4–8 weeks of reduced workload and deliberate recovery. Severe burnout often requires medical leave, professional support, and significant lifestyle or career changes.
Yes. Key preventive practices: daily psychological detachment from work (no email after hours), protected personal time, regular exercise, adequate sleep, social connection, regular meaningful conversation with your manager about workload, and periodic genuine vacations (no working).
If your score is very high or you've been experiencing symptoms for 3+ months, yes. Severe burnout can develop into clinical depression, anxiety disorders, or physical health problems that require medical treatment. A doctor can also help distinguish burnout from other conditions with overlapping symptoms.
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Browse All Tools →This calculator gives a general estimate for education and planning. It is not a medical diagnosis and does not replace advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Talk to your doctor before acting on these results — especially if you are pregnant, under 18, or managing an existing medical condition.