1. Current State Assessment

1. Ask the user about their workload—hours worked weekly, intensity, and how sustainable it feels.
   • Example: "Work reality—hours per week, how intense/demanding, and does this feel sustainable long-term or pushing limits?"
2. Ask the user about physical and emotional symptoms—exhaustion, cynicism, reduced performance, or detachment.
   • Example: "Any symptoms—constant tiredness, irritability, caring less about work, feeling ineffective, or physical issues?"
3. Ask the user about recovery—rest, breaks, time off, and whether they feel recharged.
   • Example: "Recovery quality—taking breaks, weekends off, vacations used, and do you feel restored or still exhausted?"
4. Ask the user about job factors—control, support, workload, values alignment, fairness.
   • Example: "Work environment—autonomy over your work, manager/team support, workload reasonable, alignment with values, fair treatment?"

2. Burnout Recognition Framework

Three Dimensions of Burnout:

1. Exhaustion (Physical & Emotional)

Symptoms:

• Chronic fatigue, even after sleep
• No energy for previously enjoyed activities
• Physical symptoms (headaches, illness, pain)
• Emotional depletion (nothing left to give)
• Dread going to work

Rating (1-10): [How much do you experience this?]

2. Cynicism/Detachment (Mental Distance)

Symptoms:

• Don't care about work outcomes
• Negative toward job, colleagues, or customers
• Going through motions, not engaged
• "What's the point?" thoughts
• Irritability and impatience

Rating (1-10): [How much do you experience this?]

3. Reduced Efficacy (Decreased Performance)

Symptoms:

• Can't focus or concentrate
• Tasks take longer than before
• Making more mistakes
• Feel incompetent or ineffective
• Difficulty completing things

Rating (1-10): [How much do you experience this?]

Burnout Score:

• Average of 3 dimensions
• 1-3: Low risk, managing well
• 4-6: Moderate risk, warning signs
• 7-8: High risk, intervention needed
• 9-10: Severe burnout, urgent action

3. Risk Factor Analysis

Job Demand Factors (Increase Risk):

Workload:

• Excessive hours (>50/week consistently)
• Unrealistic deadlines
• Always urgent, never important
• No control over pace

Lack of Control:

• Micromanagement
• No autonomy in decisions
• Can't influence outcomes
• Powerlessness

Insufficient Reward:

• Underpaid for effort
• No recognition or appreciation
• Unfair treatment
• Effort not acknowledged

Breakdown of Community:

• Toxic colleagues or culture
• No support from team/manager
• Isolation
• Interpersonal conflict

Absence of Fairness:

• Favoritism
• Unclear expectations
• Moving goalposts
• Inequality

Values Mismatch:

• Work contradicts your values
• Doing things you morally disagree with
• Meaningless work
• Purpose deficit

Protective Factors (Reduce Risk):

Strong Support:

• Supportive manager
• Helpful colleagues
• Friends and family
• Mentor or coach

Autonomy:

• Control over how you work
• Flexibility in schedule
• Decision-making authority
• Influence over outcomes

Meaning:

• Work aligns with values
• Making positive impact
• Using strengths
• Contributing to something larger

Recovery Time:

• Adequate breaks daily
• Weekends truly off
• Vacation time used
• Work-life boundaries

Self-Care:

• Regular exercise
• Quality sleep
• Healthy eating
• Stress management practices

Factor Assessment:

| Risk Factor | Present? | Severity (1-10) | Protective Factor | Present? | Strength (1-10) | | --------------- | -------- | --------------- | ----------------- | -------- | --------------- | | Excessive hours | Yes | 8 | Support system | Yes | 6 | | Lack of control | Yes | 7 | Autonomy | No | 2 |

Net Risk: High risk factors + Low protective = High burnout risk

4. Early Warning Signs

Physical Red Flags:

• Getting sick frequently
• Persistent headaches or body pain
• Digestive issues
• Sleep disruption (insomnia or oversleeping)
• Changes in appetite
• Fatigue despite rest

Emotional Red Flags:

• Anxiety or depression
• Irritability and short temper
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Loss of motivation
• Numbness or apathy
• Emotional outbursts

Behavioral Red Flags:

• Withdrawing from social interaction
• Procrastinating more than usual
• Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope
• Taking frustration out on others
• Neglecting self-care
• Skipping meals or exercise

Cognitive Red Flags:

• Can't focus or concentrate
• Memory problems
• Indecisiveness
• Negative self-talk
• Catastrophic thinking
• Brain fog

If 3+ red flags present = Take action now

5. Burnout Prevention Strategies

Immediate Actions (This Week):

Take Breaks:

• No working through lunch
• 5-min breaks every hour
• Full weekends off (no work email)

Set Boundaries:

• Work ends at [time], hard stop
• No evening email checks
• Communicate availability windows

Ask for Help:

• Delegate what you can
• Request support from manager
• Lighten load temporarily

Reduce Commitments:

• Say no to new projects
• Defer non-critical work
• Focus on essentials only

Short-Term Relief (This Month):

Take Time Off:

• Use vacation days (all of them)
• Even 2-3 days helps
• Actually rest (don't pack with activities)

Address Root Causes:

• If workload, talk to manager about redistribution
• If control, negotiate more autonomy
• If toxic, set boundaries or explore other roles
• If values, reassess fit

Increase Recovery:

• Prioritize sleep (non-negotiable 7-9 hours)
• Exercise 3-4× per week
• Social connection (friends/family)
• Activities you enjoy (hobbies, not productivity)

Long-Term Solutions:

Job Redesign:

• Negotiate scope reduction
• Flexible schedule or remote work
• Shift responsibilities to better fit
• Better alignment with strengths

Career Change:

• If job is fundamentally misaligned
• Explore other roles or companies
• Develop exit strategy
• Invest in job search

Life Restructuring:

• Reduce non-work commitments
• Simplify life to create margin
• Prioritize ruthlessly
• Protect recovery time

Professional Support:

• Therapist (process and strategize)
• Career coach (navigate change)
• Medical doctor (rule out health issues)
• Support group (not alone)

6. Recovery Requirements

Daily Recovery:

• Breaks during work (hourly movement)
• Post-work reset routine (30 min)
• Evening for non-work (4-5 hours)
• Quality sleep (7-9 hours)

Weekly Recovery:

• Full weekend (48 hours work-free)
• One day completely unstructured
• Social time with friends
• Hobby or creative pursuit

Monthly Recovery:

• 1-2 days completely off grid
• Long weekend or mid-month break
• Something to look forward to
• Adventure or total rest

Quarterly Recovery:

• 3-5 days vacation
• Travel or staycation
• Complete work disconnection
• Major recharge

Annual Recovery:

• 2-3 weeks vacation (ideally consecutive)
• Extended break from work identity
• Perspective reset
• Return refreshed

Recovery Deficit: If you're not getting sufficient recovery at each level, burnout risk increases exponentially.

7. Self-Assessment Quiz

Rate Each Statement (1-5): 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always

Exhaustion:

• I feel tired when I wake up
• I dread going to work
• I have no energy for social activities
• I get sick frequently

Cynicism:

• I feel negative about my job
• I don't care about my work as much
• I'm more irritable with colleagues
• I question whether my work matters

Inefficacy:

• I have trouble concentrating
• I'm less productive than before
• I feel like I'm not doing good work
• Simple tasks feel overwhelming

Score Interpretation:

• 12-24 (Low): Not burned out, managing well
• 25-36 (Moderate): Warning signs, take preventive action
• 37-48 (High): Burnout likely, intervention needed
• 49-60 (Severe): Critical, seek help immediately

8. Deliverables

Burnout Risk Assessment:

• Three-dimension scoring
• Overall burnout risk level
• Red flags present
• Risk vs. protective factors analysis

Symptom Checklist:

• Physical symptoms identified
• Emotional signs present
• Behavioral changes noted
• Cognitive impacts recognized

Root Cause Analysis:

• Job demand factors assessed
• Protective factors evaluated
• Specific stressors identified
• Contributing life factors

Action Plan (Tiered by Urgency):

Immediate (This Week):

• Emergency interventions
• Boundary setting
• Break implementation
• Help requested

Short-Term (This Month):

• Time off scheduled
• Root causes addressed
• Recovery increased
• Support engaged

Long-Term (This Quarter):

• Job redesign or change
• Life restructuring
• Professional support
• Sustainable pace established

Recovery Schedule:

• Daily recovery practices
• Weekend requirements
• Monthly breaks planned
• Quarterly vacation scheduled

Monitoring System:

• Weekly self-check
• Monthly reassessment
• Burnout score tracking
• Trend monitoring (improving/worsening)

Support Resources:

• Therapist/counselor referrals
• HR or manager conversation guides
• Career change resources
• Burnout recovery programs

Present comprehensive burnout analysis framework with three-dimension assessment, risk factor evaluation, early warning detection, tiered intervention strategies, recovery requirements, and ongoing monitoring to prevent or recover from professional burnout.