A Burnout Self-Check

There is no single test that can diagnose burnout. Still, many people look for a way to sanity-check what they’re experiencing, especially when they feel off but can’t explain why.

This self-check isn’t medical. It’s a way to notice patterns that commonly show up when burnout is present, without turning your experience into a scorecard.

How to Use This

Instead of ticking boxes, read the patterns below and notice which ones describe your recent weeks. The value isn’t in counting. It’s in recognizing clusters.

Energy and Recovery Patterns

Many people in burnout notice that rest helps less than it used to. Sleep no longer resets them fully, and exhaustion shows up most days rather than only after long ones. There’s often a sense of running on reserve, even early in the day.

Changes in Your Relationship to Work

Work may start to feel emotionally heavier than it should. Detachment or cynicism creeps in, even if you care about doing a good job. Effort stops feeling proportional to results or recognition, which makes engagement harder to sustain.

Cognitive Changes

Focus and memory often slip in subtle ways. You may reread things, lose your train of thought, or find simple decisions oddly difficult. These changes are usually gradual, which makes them easy to dismiss at first.

Emotional Signals

Irritability or numbness shows up more often. Motivation drops, especially around work, and many days feel like pushing through rather than choosing to engage.

Making Sense of What You Notice

If several of these patterns resonate across different areas, burnout is a reasonable possibility. If symptoms ease noticeably when pressure drops, that strengthens the signal.

If symptoms are widespread, persistent, and don’t improve with rest, it’s important to consider overlap with anxiety or depression and seek professional input.

This self-check isn’t meant to label you. It’s meant to help you decide what kind of support or next step makes sense.

For understanding what tends to help once burnout is present, see Burnout Treatment.