Are You Feeling Burned Out at Work? Take This Test to Find Out

Hey there. This article is about checking if you’re experiencing emotional burnout—that feeling when work drains all your energy, makes you feel detached, or leaves you perpetually stressed. This test will help you figure out what’s going on and how you are coping with it. It’s based on a method by a well-known Ukrainian psychologist who studies personality and workplace stress. The test has 84 statements about work situations: Are you worried you’re in the wrong job? Does your mood affect how you talk to colleagues? You’ll answer with a simple "yes" or "no." The process takes about 10-15 minutes. At the end, I’ll explain exactly how to score your answers and what it all means. Let’s jump into the test—it’s the easiest way to start understanding your situation.

Test: Your Burnout Level

Read each statement carefully and answer honestly: "yes" (if you agree) or "no" (if you don’t). It's best to write down the numbers and your answers on a piece of paper or in a digital notepad. The questions are about your work life: stress from tasks, interactions with people, and your general state of fatigue. They’re grouped into blocks for convenience, but you can answer them in any order. Each "yes" or "no" answer will be assigned points later on.

Block 1 (Questions 1–21)

1. Work issues like poor organization constantly make me nervous or stressed.
2. I’m as satisfied with my job today as I was when I started.
3. I feel I chose the wrong career or role (I’m in the wrong place).
4. I’m worried that my work performance is getting worse (less productive, lower quality, slower).
5. How I interact with colleagues or clients depends a lot on my mood—good or bad.
6. My work doesn’t make much difference to the well-being of others.
7. When I get home from work, I need a couple of hours alone to avoid talking to anyone.
8. When I’m tired or stressed, I try to resolve issues with colleagues or clients as quickly as possible, often by cutting the conversation short.
9. I feel I can’t emotionally give colleagues or clients what my job demands.
10. My job dulls my emotions.
11. I’m honestly tired of dealing with the problems of the people I work with or for.
12. I sometimes have trouble sleeping because of work-related stress.
13. Interacting with colleagues or clients takes a lot of emotional and physical effort.
14. Working with people brings me less and less joy.
15. I’d change jobs if I had the chance.
16. It upsets me when I can’t properly support or help a colleague or client.
17. I can always keep my bad mood from affecting my work interactions.
18. It really bothers me when things go wrong in my relationships with colleagues or clients.
19. I’m so tired from work that I try to talk as little as possible when I get home.
20. Due to lack of time, fatigue, or stress, I often give colleagues or clients less attention than they deserve.
21. Even minor work interactions sometimes irritate me.

Block 2 (Questions 22–42)

22. I calmly handle reasonable complaints from colleagues or clients.
23. Interacting with colleagues or clients has made me avoid people in general.
24. Thinking about certain colleagues or clients ruins my mood.
25. Conflicts or disagreements with colleagues drain a lot of my energy and emotional resources.
26. It’s getting harder for me to build or maintain relationships with colleagues or clients.
27. The work environment feels very tough, tense, or complicated.
28. I often feel anxious about work: that something might go wrong, I might make a mistake, or I could be reprimanded.
29. If I don’t like a colleague or client, I try to spend as little time with them as possible.
30. At work, I sometimes follow the rule: "Don’t do good, and you won’t get hurt."
31. I enjoy talking about my job with family or friends.
32. Some days, my mood negatively affects my work (I accomplish less, the quality is lower, or I get into conflicts).
33. Sometimes I know I should show care or empathy to a colleague or client, but I just can't bring myself to do it.
34. I worry a lot about my job.
35. I give more care and attention to colleagues or clients than I get gratitude for in return.
36. Thinking about work makes me feel uneasy: my chest tightens, my blood pressure rises, or I get headaches.
37. I have a good (or at least satisfactory) relationship with my boss.
38. I often feel happy seeing my work help others.
39. Lately (or for a while), I’ve been facing constant setbacks at work.
40. Some aspects of my job leave me feeling deeply disappointed or hopeless.
41. Some days, my interactions with colleagues or clients go much worse than usual.
42. I feel I understand colleagues or clients less well than I used to.

Block 3 (Questions 43–63)

43. Work fatigue makes me want to avoid my friends or acquaintances after hours.
44. I usually show interest in colleagues or clients beyond just work matters.
45. I usually come to work rested, energized, and in a good mood.
46. Sometimes I catch myself working with colleagues or clients automatically, without any real emotional investment.
47. Some people at work are so unpleasant that I can’t help wishing them ill.
48. After dealing with difficult colleagues or clients, I feel physically or mentally worse.
49. I constantly feel physically or mentally overwhelmed at work.
50. Success at work inspires and energizes me.
51. My work situation feels hopeless (or nearly hopeless).
52. I’ve lost my peace of mind because of work.
53. In the past year, I’ve had complaints about my work from colleagues or clients.
54. I save my nerves by not taking my colleagues’ or clients’ issues too personally.
55. I often bring negative emotions home from work, and it affects my personal life.
56. I often have to force myself to go to work.
57. I used to be more caring and attentive to colleagues or clients than I am now.
58. In my work, I follow the rule: "Save your nerves, protect your health above all else."
59. Sometimes I go to work with a heavy feeling: everything’s annoying, and I don’t want to see or hear anyone.
60. After a tough workday, I often feel physically unwell.
61. The people I work with are very difficult and demanding.
62. Sometimes I feel my work’s results aren’t worth the effort I put in.
63. I’d be happier if my job situation were better.

Block 4 (Questions 64–84)

64. I feel desperate because of serious, ongoing problems at work.
65. Sometimes I treat colleagues or clients in ways I wouldn’t want to be treated.
66. I find myself judging colleagues or clients who expect special treatment or attention.
67. After work, I often don’t have the energy for household tasks or hobbies.
68. I usually can’t wait for the workday to end.
69. The needs or requests of my colleagues or clients genuinely matter to me.
70. When working with people, I put up a mental shield to block out their pain or negative emotions.
71. Working with people for a living has really disappointed me.
72. To recover my energy and calm down, I often need to take medication.
73. My workday usually feels calm and easy.
74. My job’s demands are higher than what I can realistically achieve due to circumstances.
75. My career has gone well so far.
76. I get very nervous or stressed about anything work-related.
77. I actively don't want to see or hear from some of my regular colleagues or clients.
78. I admire colleagues who fully dedicate themselves to helping others, even if it means forgetting their own needs.
79. My work fatigue doesn’t (or barely) affect my interactions with family or friends.
80. If I can, I give colleagues or clients less attention, but I do it in a way they don’t notice.
81. My nerves often fail me when dealing with people at work; I can snap or get irritated easily.
82. I’ve lost interest or enthusiasm for almost everything related to my work.
83. Working with people has negatively affected me as a professional—it has made me angry, nervous, or emotionally numb.
84. Working with people is clearly harming my physical and mental health.

What Do Your Scores Mean? Results Explained

Finished? Now let’s score it. This part is a bit detailed, but I’ll guide you through it step-by-step. Burnout is your mind's way of protecting itself from work overload. The test reveals three distinct phases of burnout: Tension (when everything stresses you out), Resistance (when you shut down emotionally), and Exhaustion (when you’re completely drained). Each phase is made up of four specific symptoms. You will score each symptom individually using the key below.

How to Score:

1. For each symptom listed below, you will see a series of question numbers.
2. If the number has a '+' in front of it (like +1(2)), you add the points in parentheses if you answered 'yes'.
3. If the number has a '-' in front of it (like -2(3)), you add the points in parentheses if you answered 'no'.
4. Add up the points for each of the 12 symptoms. Each symptom can score up to 30 points.
5. Then, add up the four symptom scores for each phase to get a total for that phase.

Scoring Key (By Symptoms and Phases)

Phase 1: Tension (Feeling stressed, dissatisfied, trapped, or anxious)

• Symptom 1: Stressful work situations: +1(2), +13(3), +25(2), -37(3), +49(10), +61(5), -73(5)
• Symptom 2: Dissatisfaction with self: -2(3), +14(2), +26(2), -38(10), -50(5), +62(5), +74(3)
• Symptom 3: Feeling trapped in a cage: +3(10), +15(5), +27(2), +39(2), +51(5), +63(1), -75(5)
• Symptom 4: Anxiety and depression: +4(2), +16(3), +28(5), +40(5), +52(10), +64(2), +76(3)

Phase 2: Resistance (Inappropriate reactions, emotional withdrawal, and neglecting duties)

• Symptom 5: Inappropriate emotional reactions: +5(5), -17(3), +29(10), +41(2), +53(2), +65(3), +77(5)
• Symptom 6: Moral and ethical disorientation: +6(10), -18(3), +30(3), +42(5), +54(2), +66(2), -78(5)
• Symptom 7: Emotional withdrawal: +7(2), +19(10), -31(2), +43(5), +55(3), +67(3), -79(5)
• Symptom 8: Neglecting duties: +8(5), +20(5), +32(2), -44(2), +56(3), +68(3), +80(10)

Phase 3: Exhaustion (Emotional deficit, detachment, and physical/mental issues)

• Symptom 9: Emotional deficit: +9(3), +21(2), +33(5), -45(5), +57(3), -69(10), +81(2)
• Symptom 10: Emotional detachment: +10(2), -22(3), -34(2), +46(3), +58(5), +70(5), +82(10)
• Symptom 11: Depersonalization: +11(5), +23(3), +35(3), +47(2), +59(5), +71(2), +83(10)
• Symptom 12: Physical and mental issues (Psychosomatic): +12(3), +24(2), +36(5), +48(3), +60(2), +72(10), +84(5)

Interpreting Your Scores

Now that you have your scores, let's see what they mean. Check your score for each individual symptom first, then for each phase.

For each of the 12 symptoms:

• 9 points or less — The symptom is not present. This is a healthy score.
• 10–15 points — The symptom is developing. These are early warning signs.
• 16 points or more — The symptom is present. This area needs your attention.

For each of the 3 phases (sum of its 4 symptoms):

• 36 points or less — The phase has not formed. You are managing well in this area.
• 37–60 points — The phase is in the process of forming.
• 61 points or more — The phase is fully formed. This indicates significant burnout in this stage.

Your Overall Burnout Level:

• If all three phases are not formed, you are not experiencing burnout.
• If one phase is fully formed, you are in an early stage of burnout.
• If two phases are fully formed, you are experiencing moderate burnout.
• If all three phases are fully formed, you are in a state of severe burnout.

Your scores reveal your dominant behavior pattern. For example, high scores in the Tension phase mean you react to work stress with anxiety and worry. High scores in the Resistance phase suggest you cope by emotionally shutting down, becoming cynical, or distancing yourself. High scores in the Exhaustion phase indicate you are emotionally and physically drained. Notice which coping mechanisms have high scores, such as depersonalization (treating people impersonally) or emotional withdrawal (saving energy by not caring). These show exactly how you are trying to protect yourself.

If your scores are high in any area, it’s a sign to act. This is not a final diagnosis, but a powerful tool for self-awareness. It's an opportunity to rethink your work approach, set better boundaries, take a meaningful break, or talk to a mental health professional. Burnout can be managed and reversed, especially when caught early. Try this small step: the next time you are at work, notice what specifically triggers your stress and find one small way to decompress afterward.

Got questions? Leave them in the comments.

References and Further Reading

• Boyko, V. V. (1996). Энергия эмоций в общении: взгляд на себя и на других [The Energy of Emotions in Communication: A Look at Yourself and Others]. Moscow: Inform-izdat. Filin. This is one of the foundational Russian-language texts by Dr. Viktor Boyko where he outlines his theories on emotional energy and communication. The burnout inventory is a practical application of the concepts discussed in this book, focusing on how emotional expenditure in professional settings can lead to exhaustion.
• Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111. While this test is based on Boyko's model, it's helpful to understand the Western standard model developed by Christina Maslach. This article provides a clear, modern overview of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the three core dimensions of burnout it measures: exhaustion, cynicism (similar to depersonalization), and professional inefficacy. Comparing the concepts can provide a richer understanding of your own results.
• Vodopyanova, N. E., & Starchenkova, E. S. (2008). Синдром выгорания: диагностика и профилактика [Burnout Syndrome: Diagnosis and Prevention]. St. Petersburg: Piter. This is a comprehensive Russian-language guide on burnout that extensively features and analyzes Boyko's methodology. It provides detailed interpretations of each symptom and phase, offering a deeper dive for those who can read the language or are interested in the academic background of this specific test.