thrive at work/Burnout self-check
Burnout · Self-check
Burnout test: a free self-check.
Fifteen statements, two minutes, an instant result by area. Your answers stay in your browser, and the result points you to what to do next.
By Jerry Fiser, Founder & CEO · Reviewed by Marcin Bulik, Research Director · Updated November 8, 2026
Is there a test for burnout?
There is no single medical test for burnout. Doctors and researchers use questionnaires that ask about exhaustion, distance from work and reduced effectiveness, the three dimensions the WHO uses to describe burnout. The free self-check below follows the same three dimensions and adds recovery and focus. It helps you reflect on how you are doing; it is not a diagnosis.
- 15 statements in five areas: exhaustion, distance, effectiveness, recovery and focus.
- Takes about two minutes; your answers are not sent anywhere.
- Scores from 0 to 60, with four result bands and next steps.
- Based on the WHO description of burnout, not a clinical instrument.
- If your score is high, talk to a doctor or mental health professional.
Take the burnout self-check.
For each statement, choose how often it applied to you over the past four weeks.
Free self-check · 2 minutes · private
How close are you to burnout?
15 short statements about the past four weeks. You get an instant result, the areas that need attention most and what to do next.
- 15 statements
- About 2 minutes
- Nothing is sent or stored on our servers
Over the past four weeks, how often…
Your score
Your five areas
Where to start
Your trend
If your score is high, or you feel hopeless or cannot get through the day, please talk to a doctor. In the US you can call or text 988 at any time.
A self-check shows one person. thrive at work shows where burnout risk sits across every team, anonymously, with engagement and capacity side by side.
This self-check is for reflection only and is not a diagnosis. Your answers stay in your browser; a short history is kept only on this device so you can see your trend. If you are in crisis in the US, call or text 988.
How to read your result.
| Score | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0–15 | Few signs of burnout | Keep protecting your recovery; check again in a few months |
| 16–30 | Some warning signs | Often a demanding phase; act on what drains you most |
| 31–45 | Clear warning signs | Raise workload with your manager; consider talking to a doctor |
| 46–60 | Strong signs of burnout | Talk to a doctor or mental health professional soon |
Look at the five areas as well as the total. High exhaustion with good recovery often means a short, intense period. High scores on distance and effectiveness usually mean burnout has been building for longer. Poor recovery is the area most worth fixing first, because without recovery nothing else improves.
What the self-check looks at.
Five areas, each with three statements.
- 1Exhaustion. Feeling drained, emotionally worn out and tired before the day starts.
- 2Distance. Cynicism and detachment from the work and the people in it.
- 3Effectiveness. The sense that effort no longer makes a difference, plus more mistakes.
- 4Recovery. Whether evenings, weekends and sleep restore your energy.
- 5Focus. Concentration, memory and how big small problems feel.
How burnout is defined.
The WHO describes burnout in ICD-11 as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It has three dimensions: energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job or cynicism about it, and reduced professional efficacy. The WHO classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not as a medical condition.
Researchers use validated questionnaires to measure these dimensions, such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. This self-check is shorter and simpler, and is meant for personal reflection rather than research or diagnosis.
What to do after the self-check.
If your score shows warning signs, start with the cause rather than the symptoms. Write down the three things that drained you most in the past month. Pick one you can change or raise with your manager this week, such as an unclear priority, a meeting that could go or a lack of time to focus. Protect sleep and a clear end to the working day. See coping with stress at work and the stages of burnout.
If your score is high, or you feel hopeless, cannot sleep or are struggling to get through the day, talk to your doctor. In the US, if you are in crisis, call or text 988 (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
For managers and HR.
Individual self-checks are useful for reflection, but employers should never ask people to share their scores. To see burnout risk across an organization, use an anonymous survey with results reported only for groups large enough to protect anonymity. thrive at work measures engagement and capacity together and shows which teams are committed but running low. Capacity is the energy, recovery, focus and resilience a person has available to sustain performance. See how to measure burnout risk.
What this self-check cannot do.
It cannot diagnose burnout, depression, anxiety or any other condition. Symptoms such as exhaustion, poor sleep and trouble concentrating have many possible causes, including physical illness, so persistent symptoms deserve a conversation with a doctor. The self-check also reflects only the past four weeks; take it again after a few weeks to see how things change.
thrive at work measures engagement (purpose, leadership, connection, growth) and capacity (energy, recovery, focus, resilience) in one anonymous assessment: see how the assessment works.
Most engagement problems show up first as falling energy, recovery and focus. thrive at work is a workforce performance platform: an employee engagement platform that also measures capacity to perform, so you can see strain by team before it turns into absence or resignations. Read more about employee capacity.
Sources.
- WHO. www.who.int
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
Common questions
Is this burnout test accurate?
Are my answers saved?
What score means burnout?
How do doctors test for burnout?
See which teams are running low.
A 30-minute call shows what a first engagement and capacity assessment would reveal.