WHERE ARE YOU ON THE BURNOUT BAROMETER?
TRY this quiz to reveal whether you’re just a little pooped or running on empty. A ‘yes’ equals one point. 1. Do you wake up, even after a good night’s sleep, and still feel tired? 2. Are small tasks challenging? 3. Does it take you much longer to complete tasks than it used to? 4. Do even simple things completely wipe you out? 5. Do you experience dizzy spells during the day? 6. Do you feel light-headed when you stand up too quickly? 7. Do you feel tired all the time? 8. Are you dragging yourself through the day?
9. Do you rely heavily on stimulants such as tea, coffee and sugar to keep you going daily? 10. Do you feel increasingly overwhelmed at work? 11. Do small things upset you? 12. Have you lost your drive and motivation? 13. Do you feel like a zombie most days? 14. Did you used to have a lot of energy and now feel like a shadow of your former self? 15. Do you feel really fatigued after exercise? 16. Are you so tired you can’t even read a text message? 17. Do you ever feel so tired you feel sick? 18. Do you find yourself increasingly unhappy? 19. Is your memory not as good as it used to be? 20. Do you have brain fog and reduced cognitive function? 21. Does it take you a few hours to wake up properly? 22. Have you experienced significant amounts of stress over the past three years? 23. Do you have low blood pressure? 24. Do you feel like you have to force yourself to keep going? 25. Do you have severe energy slumps if you skip meals? 26. Do you cancel social events because you can’t face the thought of them? 27. Do you find yourself desperate for a nap during the day? 28. Is your energy lowest in the morning when you wake up?
WHAT YOUR SCORE REVEALS
0-8 Healthy stage: Your low score indicates you have a healthy stress response. You’re resilient and doing the right things to protect yourself against burnout. 9-18 Resistance stage: You have mild burnout and will head towards complete exhaustion if you don’t intervene now. 19-28 exhaustion stage: You’re on the floor and need a complete overhaul of your diet and lifestyle.