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Burnout warning signs checklist

Burnout is usually noticed by everyone except the person it's happening to. This is what to check for, and what to do once you have.

24 items

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

The items

  1. Exhaustion that a weekend off doesn't fixOrdinary tiredness lifts with rest; this is the sign that started the list.
  2. Cynicism about work that wasn't there beforeCaring less isn't a personality change, it's often the first symptom.
  3. Performance dropping despite working more hoursMore time at the desk producing less is the pattern, not a coincidence.
  4. Sleep disrupted by work even when you're not working
  5. Physical symptoms with no other explanation
  6. Headaches or jaw clenching
  7. Stomach or digestion changes
  8. Getting ill more often than usual
  9. Withdrawing from people who used to helpIsolating is often mistaken for coping.
  10. Irritability that lands on people who don't deserve it
  11. Dread on Sunday evening that's got steadily worseNormal reluctance is mild and passes; this version grows.
  12. Using alcohol, food or scrolling to switch off, more than beforeWorth noticing as a pattern, not judging as a moral failing.
  13. A list of what's actually changed at work
  14. Workload, honestly counted
  15. What decision-making power has gone
  16. Whether support that used to exist is still there
  17. One thing said out loud to someone elseNaming it to a person is what usually starts anything changing.
  18. A conversation with a manager about workload, however uncomfortable
  19. Boundaries actually enforced, not just decided
  20. A finishing time that's kept, not aspirational
  21. Notifications off outside it
  22. Time off booked and genuinely takenRescheduled meetings creeping back in defeats the point.
  23. A GP appointment, if the exhaustion or low mood is persistentBurnout has a medical dimension worth checking rather than assuming; a doctor can also rule out other causes.
  24. What would need to change for this to be sustainable, written downThe honest answer, not the acceptable one.

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

Questions people ask

Is burnout the same as being tired?
No. Ordinary tiredness lifts with a weekend or a holiday; burnout is what's still there after the rest, and it tends to come with cynicism and dropping performance alongside the exhaustion.
When should this go to a doctor rather than stay a checklist?
If exhaustion, low mood or sleep problems are persistent or getting worse, that's a job for a GP rather than something to manage alone — burnout can overlap with depression and both are worth ruling in or out properly.
What's the first thing to actually change?
Say it out loud to one person, then have the workload conversation. Both feel like the hard part; both are usually what starts anything moving.