Burnout has a clinical definition, a research literature going back four decades, and measurable dimensions. This page shows exactly what we drew on, and what we do not claim.
In 2019 the World Health Organization included burnout in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. It is defined as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
One detail matters and is often reported wrongly: the WHO classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not as a medical condition. It describes something that happens to people at work. It is not a disease diagnosis.
The definition names three dimensions, and those three are what Sohlara measures.
Burnout research relies on a small number of well-established questionnaires. Two matter most.
Developed by Christina Maslach and Susan Jackson, the MBI is the most widely used measure in burnout research. It scores exhaustion, cynicism and personal accomplishment separately rather than producing a single verdict. Notably, personal accomplishment is reverse-scored: a lower score there means more burnout.
Commercially licensed. Publisher ↗
Published by Kristensen and colleagues in Work & Stress in 2005, the CBI was built as a free, public-domain alternative to the MBI. It was validated on the Danish PUMA study, with 1,914 participants at baseline, and has since been translated and re-validated across many countries.
Free to use. Original paper ↗
Sohlara is not either of these instruments, and does not reproduce their items. We use the same three-dimension structure the WHO defines, which both of these measures are built around.
Ten statements, one minute, three pillars mapped to the WHO's three dimensions.
You rate how often each one is true for you, from Never to Always. Each answer scores 0 to 4.
The statements are grouped into Energy, Emotion and Focus. Each pillar is scored 0 to 100 independently.
The three pillars average into a single 0 to 100 burnout score. Higher means more burnout.
The score maps to one of four stages, so you get a direction to act on, not just a number.
Feeling depleted, waking up tired, energy crashing through the day.
Feeling numb or drained, losing motivation, pulling away from people.
Overwhelm, trouble finishing things, a mind that will not switch off.
| Score | Stage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | Overdrive | You are pushing past your limits and calling it normal. The earliest and most recoverable stage. |
| 30–54 | Depletion | The tank is running low. Sleep, focus and motivation start to slip. |
| 55–74 | Disconnection | Work, people and meaning begin to feel far away. |
| 75–100 | Breakdown | The body forces the stop that was never chosen. This stage needs real support. |
The thresholds are ours. They are set to move people toward action early rather than to mark a clinical cut-off, because no clinical cut-off for burnout exists. The WHO does not define one, and neither the MBI nor the CBI publishes a universal diagnostic threshold.
Measuring it only matters if something can change. Two recent syntheses of the literature.
A 2023 meta-analysis in the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health pooled controlled studies of workplace burnout interventions. It found a small but consistent reduction in exhaustion overall, and the largest effect where personal and organizational approaches were combined rather than used alone.
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing examined 14 studies of mobile-app interventions. It found a moderate improvement in personal accomplishment, one of the three burnout dimensions, with mixed results on emotional exhaustion.
We report the mixed findings as well as the positive ones. The honest summary is that structured support helps, that the effects are real but moderate, and that combining daily practice with human support is better supported than either alone.
If you are struggling, or if your score is high and staying high, please talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. See Wellness, not medical for where we draw the line.
Every figure and claim on this site links to its source. Here they are in one place.
Ten questions, about sixty seconds, and a stage you can act on.