Burnout Risk Checker — what this measures

Burnout is not the same as “having a bad day.” It’s a pattern that builds when demands stay high while recovery, control, and support stay low. This calculator gives a non‑clinical, educational snapshot of your current burnout risk based on common, everyday signals: workload pressure, sleep, recovery time, sense of control, support, meaning, boundaries, and physical stress symptoms.

Your result is a 0–100 Burnout Risk Score. Higher numbers mean the pattern you described looks more like the classic burnout setup (high demands + low resources). Lower numbers mean your inputs suggest you have more buffers in place. The goal is clarity and a practical plan — not a label.

Why burnout happens (in plain English)

Most people think burnout comes from working too much. Volume matters, but burnout is usually about mismatch: the work requires more energy than you’re getting back. That mismatch can be physical (not enough sleep), emotional (constant conflict or customer stress), cognitive (too many decisions), or social (no support). If the mismatch lasts long enough, your body adapts by reducing “optional” capacity: creativity, patience, focus, motivation, and even empathy.

Researchers often describe burnout with three overlapping clusters: exhaustion (you feel depleted), cynicism or detachment (you care less, you feel numb, you feel negative), and reduced efficacy (you doubt your impact even when you’re working hard). People can experience different mixes of these. That’s why a short “risk snapshot” like this tool uses multiple sliders instead of one question.

The scoring formula (simple, transparent)

Each slider is rated from 1 to 10. Some sliders increase risk when they go up (like workload pressure), and some decrease risk when they go up (like sleep quality or support). We convert each slider into a risk contribution between 0 and 10, apply weights, then scale the total to 0–100.

• Workload Pressure: higher → higher risk. Risk = workload.
• Stress Symptoms: higher → higher risk. Risk = symptoms.
• Sleep Quality: higher → lower risk. Risk = 11 − sleep.
• Recovery Time: higher → lower risk. Risk = 11 − recovery.
• Control / Autonomy: higher → lower risk. Risk = 11 − control.
• Support / Connection: higher → lower risk. Risk = 11 − support.
• Meaning / Alignment: higher → lower risk. Risk = 11 − meaning.
• Boundaries: higher → lower risk. Risk = 11 − boundaries.

Weights are not “truth”; they’re a practical choice based on how burnout tends to show up in everyday life. In most situations, workload, sleep, recovery, and control carry the most leverage, so they’re weighted a bit higher.

• Workload Pressure: 18%
• Sleep Quality (inverted): 16%
• Recovery Time (inverted): 14%
• Control / Autonomy (inverted): 14%
• Stress Symptoms: 14%
• Support / Connection (inverted): 10%
• Meaning / Alignment (inverted): 8%
• Boundaries (inverted): 6%

After weighting, we get a number between 1 and 10 (where 10 is the highest risk pattern). We then map that to a 0–100 score. That’s the number you see in the result panel.

How to read your result

• 0–24 (Low risk): You likely have enough buffers. Keep protecting sleep, recovery, and boundaries.
• 25–44 (Watch zone): Some signals are trending in the wrong direction. A small adjustment now is high ROI.
• 45–64 (Moderate risk): The pattern looks strained. Prioritize reducing demands or increasing recovery this week.
• 65–79 (High risk): You’re likely operating close to the edge. Consider immediate boundary changes and support.
• 80–100 (Very high risk): Strong burnout setup. Slow down, talk to someone, and consider professional support if needed.

Important: a high score does not mean “you are burned out forever.” It means your current situation has a lot of the ingredients that can produce burnout. Many people improve quickly once they change one or two levers.

Worked examples (so the score feels real)

Example A — Busy but buffered: Workload 7, symptoms 4, sleep 7, recovery 7, control 6, support 7, meaning 7, boundaries 6. Workload is high, but sleep and recovery are decent and there’s enough support. This usually lands in the watch zone or the lower end of moderate. The best move is protecting recovery: schedule a real break and reduce “always on” hours.

Example B — The classic burnout setup: Workload 9, symptoms 8, sleep 3, recovery 3, control 3, support 4, meaning 4, boundaries 2. Here, demands are high and resources are low. The score often lands in the high to very high range. The fastest improvement usually comes from two actions: (1) reduce demands immediately (renegotiate scope, deadlines, or hours), and (2) rebuild recovery basics (sleep window + short decompression breaks).

Example C — Low workload, low meaning: Workload 4, symptoms 4, sleep 7, recovery 6, control 5, support 5, meaning 2, boundaries 6. This can still produce a moderate score because lack of meaning can feel draining and detach you from the work. The highest leverage action is often a values alignment check: what part of your week feels pointless, and what small change would make it feel useful again?

What to do next (a tiny 7‑day plan)

A burnout score is only useful if it turns into action. Here’s a simple 7‑day plan:

• Day 1: Pick the lowest “resource” slider (sleep, recovery, control, support, meaning, boundaries) and aim to improve it by +1.
• Days 2–3: Add one micro‑recovery block daily (10–20 minutes): walk, stretch, a quiet coffee, or a no‑phone reset.
• Days 4–5: Make one boundary change: stop work 30 minutes earlier, turn off a notification, or say no to one extra task.
• Days 6–7: Re‑run the calculator for “Last 7 days” and check whether your score moved in the right direction.

Even if your situation can’t change quickly (deadlines, caregiving, finances), recovery levers often can. Small, consistent buffers reduce risk more than occasional “big” breaks you never take.

FAQs

• Is this a medical or clinical diagnosis?

  No. This tool is for education and self‑reflection. If you’re worried about your mental or physical health, a licensed professional can help you assess what’s going on.

• How often should I check?

  Weekly is ideal. Burnout is about trends. Use “Last 7 days” on the same day each week and save your snapshots.

• What if I score high but I still perform well at work?

  High performers often push through early burnout signals. A high score can be an early warning: you’re functioning, but the cost is rising (sleep, mood, patience, health). Preventive action now is easier than recovery later.

• What if I score low but feel miserable?

  The sliders can’t capture everything (grief, depression, trauma, medical issues). Trust your lived experience. If you’re suffering, you deserve support regardless of the number.

• What’s one fast thing that usually helps?

  Pick one lever: protect a consistent sleep window, reduce one commitment, or add a daily micro‑recovery break. If you can do only one thing, start with sleep + boundaries.

Deep dive: what each slider really means

People often rate sliders differently depending on personality. To make your inputs more consistent over time, use these anchors. Try to answer based on the pattern of the timeframe you selected, not one unusually good or bad moment.

This is not just hours. It includes urgency, interruptions, the number of parallel projects, and how “heavy” the work feels. A 7 can mean you’re busy but still finishing the day with some energy left. A 9–10 usually means the work spills into sleep, meals, relationships, or your ability to think clearly. If workload is high, the most effective fixes are often structural: scope changes, fewer simultaneous commitments, or longer deadlines — not simply “try harder.”

Symptoms can be physical (tension headaches, stomach issues, tight chest, poor appetite), cognitive (forgetfulness, racing thoughts), or emotional (irritability, numbness, crying easily). A high symptom score means your system is already paying a price. Treat symptoms as a feedback loop: they are the dashboard light, not the enemy. The goal is to lower the underlying load.

Sleep quality is about restoration, not perfection. A 6–7 can be “I’m not getting eight hours, but I wake up mostly okay.” A 3–4 can be “I wake up tired, I rely on caffeine, and nights feel restless.” If sleep is low, consider both quantity and quality: a consistent bedtime window, less late‑night screen time, and a calmer wind‑down routine.

Recovery is your ability to return to baseline after a demanding day or week. A 7–8 means you can reset with a good night’s sleep or a weekend. A 3–4 means you feel behind for days, and rest doesn’t “stick.” If recovery is low, your nervous system may be stuck in a high‑alert state. Daily micro‑recovery breaks, sunlight, gentle movement, and reducing caffeine late in the day often help.

Low control is one of the most consistent burnout drivers. It can be “my schedule is not mine,” “requirements change constantly,” or “I’m judged on outcomes I can’t influence.” If control is low, try to identify a negotiable slice: one meeting you can decline, one deadline you can renegotiate, or one small decision you can own. Even small autonomy gains lower burnout risk.

Support includes emotional support (someone who gets it), practical support (help with tasks), and social connection (not feeling alone). A high support score doesn’t require a huge friend group — it can be one reliable person. If support is low, start with low‑friction steps: message one person, ask for a 10‑minute check‑in, or join a community that matches your interests.

Meaning is the sense that your effort matters. When meaning is low, even moderate workload can feel draining. Meaning can come from the mission, the craft (learning, mastery), or the people you help. If meaning is low, try a “values audit”: which tasks feel pointless, and which tasks feel energizing? Shifting even 10% of your week toward energizing work can change the experience dramatically.

Boundaries are the invisible rails that protect recovery: stopping work at a reasonable time, not checking messages constantly, saying no to extra tasks, and creating transitions between roles (work, family, personal). Low boundaries often show up as “always available,” “I’m thinking about work at night,” or “I say yes automatically.” Improving boundaries can be as small as a 30‑minute shutdown ritual or turning off one notification channel.

Burnout myths (and what to do instead)

• Myth: Burnout is a personal weakness. Reality: Burnout is a system mismatch; fix levers, not identity.
• Myth: A vacation will solve it. Reality: Time off helps, but daily recovery and boundaries prevent relapse.
• Myth: Working harder will catch you up. Reality: Past a point, pushing increases errors and lengthens recovery.

When to seek help

If your score is high and you also notice persistent hopelessness, panic, severe sleep disruption, or thoughts of harming yourself, please seek support immediately from local emergency services or a qualified professional. If you’re not in crisis but you feel stuck, a therapist, physician, or coach can help you map the pattern and build a recovery plan. Asking for help is not failure — it’s a skill.