Based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory framework — the most widely used burnout model. Measures emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment across 12 questions.
Self-reflection tool only. If you're experiencing severe burnout, please speak with your GP. Burnout is recognised as a genuine health condition and is treatable. Samaritans: 116 123.
Advertisement
Rate how often you feel each of the following. 0 = Never, 6 = Every day.
😓 Emotional Exhaustion
😐 Cynicism / Depersonalisation
✅ Personal Accomplishment
Recover from burnout with a structured approach. "Burnout" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski is the bestselling guide to completing the stress cycle and recovering.
Emotional Exhaustion is the core component — feeling drained, depleted and unable to give any more. Cynicism/Depersonalisation is a detachment response — becoming emotionally distant from work and the people in it. Reduced Personal Accomplishment is the belief that you're no longer effective or achieving anything meaningful.
Recovery from burnout requires addressing all three dimensions. Exhaustion needs rest and workload reduction. Cynicism needs reconnection with meaning and purpose. Reduced accomplishment needs genuine wins and recognition. These don't all respond to the same interventions.
Recovery timelines vary significantly — mild burnout may resolve in weeks with rest and workload reduction; severe burnout can take 3–12+ months of active recovery. Research suggests that simply taking a holiday doesn't produce sustained recovery — the stressors must actually change. Meaningful recovery typically involves: workload reduction, boundary-setting, sleep prioritisation, restored autonomy and often professional support.
They overlap significantly and often co-occur, but they're not identical. Depression is typically more pervasive — affecting all areas of life. Burnout is often more work-specific initially, though it can generalise. Both involve exhaustion and loss of interest. The distinction matters clinically because treatments differ — burnout primarily needs environmental change alongside recovery, while depression responds well to therapy and medication regardless of context changes.
Yes — if the source of burnout can be addressed within the current role. This requires: honest conversations with management about workload, boundaries around working hours, delegating or deprioritising tasks, finding meaning in the work again, and building recovery practices. If the role itself is fundamentally misaligned with your values or the organisation is toxic, environmental change may be necessary for genuine recovery.