About HowBurnedOut — Our Methodology

HowBurnedOut is a free, science-informed burnout self-assessment tool built to help people understand their burnout level quickly, honestly, and without barriers. No account. No payment. No personal data collected.

How the assessment works

HowBurnedOut measures burnout across the three core dimensions identified in clinical burnout research, based on the framework established by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI):

1. Emotional Exhaustion— the depletion of emotional resources and the feeling of being emotionally overextended by one's work or responsibilities.
2. Depersonalization (Cynicism) — an impersonal, cynical, or detached response to the people and responsibilities one is serving.
3. Reduced Personal Accomplishment (Efficacy)— a diminished sense of competence and achievement in one's work.

The assessment uses 12 questions rated on a 7-point frequency scale (Never to Every Day), the same format used in clinical research settings. Dimensions are scored independently, and a composite burnout score is calculated with the efficacy dimension reverse-scored (higher reported efficacy means lower burnout contribution).

Why we built this

Burnout is a global health crisis affecting hundreds of millions of people. Yet most people who are burnt out don't know it — they attribute their symptoms to personal weakness, poor sleep, or "just being busy." This misattribution delays recovery by months or years.

We built HowBurnedOut because access to credible, science-based burnout information should not require an appointment, a payment, or a diagnosis. Understanding where you are is the prerequisite for deciding what to do. That should be available to everyone, immediately.

What HowBurnedOut is NOT

• Not a clinical diagnosis. HowBurnedOut is a self-screening tool. It provides an indication of burnout level, not a clinical assessment. Results should not be used as a substitute for professional evaluation.
• Not a replacement for professional help. Moderate to severe burnout — and especially burnout that co-occurs with depression or anxiety — benefits significantly from professional support. Our tool is a starting point, not a destination.
• Not predictive of medical outcomes. Our scores identify burnout dimensions; they do not predict the development of physical or mental health conditions.

Data & privacy

Nothing is stored on our servers.All quiz processing happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your answers are temporarily saved to your browser's local storage to allow you to resume if you close the tab — but this data never leaves your device. Results are passed via URL parameters — no personal data is ever transmitted to our servers.

We do not sell data. We do not build user profiles. We do not require registration. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

When to seek professional help

Please speak with a healthcare professional if you are experiencing:

• Symptoms that significantly impair your daily functioning
• Physical symptoms alongside emotional exhaustion
• Thoughts of harming yourself or hopelessness about the future
• Burnout that persists despite self-care efforts
• Burnout that may be accompanied by depression or anxiety

Academic references

HowBurnedOut is informed by the following primary research:

• Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2(2), 99–113.
• Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 397–422.
• Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Maslach, C. (2009). Burnout: 35 years of research and practice. Career Development International, 14(3), 204–220.
• World Health Organization (2019). Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases. WHO.