Take the Burnout Test

Part of taking care of yourself involves knowing when you've had enough (knowing what to do about it comes after the process of realization...or in self-help lingo "it's part of the journey"). To assess your stress level, complete the burnout test below. The Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire measures stress on the three levels that comprise the burnout condition, emotional exhaustion (EE), physical fatigue (PF), and cognitive weariness (Cog).

Answer each of the statements below by indicating how often you have the feeling during working hours (this also applies to life as a whole but since we spend so much time at work, it may be best to begin there). Almost always = 1 point; very frequently = 2 points; quite frequently = 3; sometimes = 4; quite infrequently = 5; very infrequently = 6; almost never = 7. Add up your scores for each of the three categories. To find your stress range, see below.

The Burnout Test

1. I feel tired. (PF)

2. I feel physically fatigued. (PF)

3. I feel physically exhausted. (PF)

4. When I get up in the morning to go to work, I have no energy. (PF)

5. I feel fed up. (EE)

6. I feel like my emotional batteries are dead. (EE)

7. I feel burned out in my job. (EE)

8. I feel emotionally fatigued. (EE)

9. I am too tired to think clearly. (Cog)

10. I have difficulty concentrating. (Cog)

11. My thinking process is slow. (Cog)

12. I have difficulty thinking about complex things. (Cog)

(Men whose scores average 3.0 to 3.75 and women who average 3.6 to 4.0 are at the high end of the burnout range and should seek expert help for preventative measures.)