Burnout and work · worksheet 98
Exhaustion often comes from an imbalance: many demands and few resources for dealing with them. Taking stock helps you see where to act, and not to carry everything on your own shoulders.
Before you start
- What it is for: To see clearly what weighs on you and what holds you up at work, and know where to act.
- About 15 minutes.
- Exhaustion appears when the demands of work weigh more than the resources that hold you up, for a long time. It isn’t a personal weakness.
- Look at both columns: sometimes demands can’t be reduced, but a resource can be increased.
Prefer paper? Download the PDF to print (with a page for psychologists).
What to do with your results
If demands clearly outweigh resources, it isn’t a lack of courage: it is a situation that needs to change. Talk to your manager, the occupational health service or a professional.
If you find it hard
If you can’t see any resources, also think of those outside work (loved ones, leisure, rest): they count.
For psychologists
The PDF also includes a page for the psychologist: how to run the exercise in session, points to watch and scientific references. You are free to use it with your clients.
For psychologists: aim, audience and duration
Identify the demands of work (workload, pressure, conflicts, ambiguity) and the available resources (autonomy, support, recognition, meaning), and spot where action is possible.
Risk of burnout, work stress, returning to work. Duration: 20 min in session.
References
Bakker, A. B. & Demerouti, E. (2007). The Job Demands-Resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309-328.
Maslach, C. & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103-111.
These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).
Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).
