Am I Burnt Out? An ADHD-Friendly Self-Test

Open hardback journal with hand-drawn empty checkboxes down the page, a wooden pencil resting across the page, and a small leafy plant in a terracotta pot. Am I burnt out? self-test landing image.

If you have been feeling drained for a while, and you have ADHD or AuDHD, this short self-test can help you get clearer on what is going on.

Burnout is not a personal failing. It is a predictable response to running an ADHD brain at full capacity for too long, often while masking, overworking, or carrying more than the people around you can see.

The questions below take a few minutes and come in five short sections: your body, your feelings, your thinking, keeping up, and recovery. There are no right or wrong responses. The aim is simply to give you a clearer picture of where your system is right now, and what to do next.

You will see your personal results straight away, and a copy arrives by email with a PDF to keep.

Step 1 of 6 - Physical energy

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

How does your body feel by the end of a typical day?(Required)

I feel reasonably well. I have enough energy left for things I enjoy.

I am a little tired, but I recover well once I rest.

I am often tired in a way that goes beyond a normal busy day.

I feel depleted most evenings, even when the day was not particularly demanding.

I am exhausted before the day is over and I do not know how I am getting through it.

How is your sleep?(Required)

I sleep reasonably well and I wake up feeling restored most days.

My sleep is mostly fine, though I have the occasional bad night.

I do not sleep well as often as I would like, and it shows the next day.

My sleep is poor more often than not, and I rarely feel rested when I wake up.

I wake up already tired. Sleep does not seem to restore me at all right now.

How often does your body feel physically tense, sore, or run down?(Required)

I feel physically well and comfortable most of the time.

I notice some tension now and then, but nothing that concerns me.

I am often aware of physical tension, headaches, or general soreness.

My body feels tight, heavy, or sore most days.

I feel physically worn out. My body feels like it is carrying too much, constantly.

How does your body respond to the demands of your day?(Required)

I have enough physical energy to get through what I need to do.

I manage most days, though some days feel harder than they should.

I am running low on physical reserves more often than I used to.

I push through most days, but it costs me more than it looks like from the outside.

I am running on nothing. Getting through the day takes everything I have physically.

How do you feel emotionally by the end of the day?(Required)

I feel reasonably settled. I can switch off and be present with people I care about.

I am a bit flat by the end of the day, but I recover with rest.

I often feel emotionally drained, even when nothing particularly difficult happened.

I feel empty or numb at the end of most days. I do not have much left for anyone.

I am running on no emotional reserves at all. Even small things feel like too much.

How is your temper or emotional reactivity right now?(Required)

I feel reasonably even-keeled. My reactions feel proportionate to what is happening.

I am a bit more reactive than usual on bad days, but I generally manage it.

I notice I am quicker to feel irritated, tearful, or overwhelmed than I would like.

My patience is very thin. I react strongly to things that would not normally affect me.

I feel on the edge of tears or anger much of the time, and I cannot seem to regulate it.

How well are you coping with the emotional demands others place on you?(Required)

I can usually be present and supportive for others without it costing me too much.

I manage, though I am more aware of needing time to myself afterwards.

I find it hard to have the emotional capacity others need from me, more often than before.

I feel almost nothing in situations where I know I should feel something. I am switched off.

Other people's needs feel impossible to meet right now. I am overwhelmed by my own emotions before theirs even land.

How do you feel about things that used to bring you pleasure or interest?(Required)

I still enjoy things and feel motivated by the activities and people that matter to me.

Things feel slightly muted at the moment, but I still get enjoyment from some things.

Things I used to enjoy feel flat or like too much effort more often than I would like.

I rarely feel genuine enjoyment or interest in anything. Life feels grey most of the time.

I feel disconnected from things I used to love. Nothing feels worth the effort right now.

How clear does your thinking feel right now?(Required)

My thinking is clear enough. I can follow a thought through and make decisions without too much difficulty.

I have foggy days, but I can usually think clearly when I need to.

My thinking often feels slow or clouded, more than I would expect given what I am dealing with.

Brain fog is a real problem for me most days. I lose my thread easily and think slowly.

I can barely think straight. My brain feels like it is full of static and I cannot cut through it.

How are you managing decisions right now?(Required)

Decisions feel manageable. I can weigh options and reach a conclusion without excessive difficulty.

Some decisions feel harder than they should, but I get there eventually.

Decisions feel disproportionately hard. Even small choices take a lot of mental effort.

I avoid decisions wherever I can because the mental effort feels impossible to summon.

Decision-making feels completely shut down. I am frozen. I cannot make even basic choices right now.

How easily can you hold information in your head or keep track of things?(Required)

I can hold most of what I need in mind and recall things without too much difficulty.

I am a bit more forgetful than usual, but I manage with notes and reminders.

I am forgetting things and losing track of things much more than I normally would.

I cannot rely on my memory at all right now. Things disappear the moment I learn them.

I feel like I cannot hold anything in my head. Even conversations are hard to follow by the end.

How much mental effort does your average day require, compared to your capacity to give it?(Required)

The demands feel roughly in line with what I can give. I am coping well enough.

Some days feel mentally harder than they should, but I keep up overall.

The gap between what is demanded of me and what I can give is getting noticeable.

Every day feels like I am operating beyond my mental capacity. I am not really keeping up.

I feel like I am drowning in demands that my brain simply cannot process right now.

How do you feel about your ability to keep on top of your responsibilities?(Required)

I feel broadly on top of things. I have a reasonable grip on what needs to happen and when.

I have moments of feeling behind, but I catch up and do not dwell on it.

I feel behind more often than not, and it weighs on me.

I feel like I am permanently behind. I do not remember what it feels like to be on top of things.

I feel so far behind that I cannot see a way through. The backlog feels overwhelming and endless.

How do you talk to yourself when you do not get things done?(Required)

I am reasonably kind to myself. I recognise that some days are harder than others and I move on.

I can be a bit hard on myself, but I generally put it in perspective fairly quickly.

I am often critical of myself when I fall short. The self-criticism lingers longer than it should.

I am very hard on myself most of the time. I feel like I am constantly failing, even when I am trying my best.

I say things to myself about my performance that I would never say to another person. The shame is constant.

How much do you feel you have to hide about how much you are managing or not managing?(Required)

I am open enough about how things are. I do not feel a strong need to hide my limits.

I sometimes downplay how hard things are, but it is not a constant pressure.

I put a lot of energy into making things look more under control than they are.

I work hard to keep up appearances most of the time. Very few people know how much I am holding.

I feel like I am performing competence constantly. No one around me has any idea what is really going on.

How do you feel about your own standards and what you expect of yourself?(Required)

My expectations of myself feel reasonable and I can meet them most of the time.

I sometimes set the bar too high, but I am aware of it and can adjust.

I hold myself to standards that are very hard to meet, and I feel bad when I do not reach them.

No matter what I achieve, it does not feel like enough. I find it hard to feel satisfied with my efforts.

I feel like I am failing all the time, regardless of what I actually do. Nothing I produce feels good enough.

How much genuine rest and recovery are you getting?(Required)

I am getting enough time to rest and feel restored. I can switch off reasonably well.

My rest is not perfect, but I get enough recovery time to keep going without too much cost.

I do not get enough real rest. I know it is affecting me, but I have not found a way to change it yet.

Rest feels like something other people get. I am always doing, always on, even when I am not at work.

I cannot remember the last time I felt truly rested or restored. I am permanently running on empty.

How well can you switch off at the end of the day or at weekends?(Required)

I can switch off and be present in my own time without too much difficulty.

I find it a bit hard to switch off sometimes, but I generally get there.

Switching off is genuinely difficult. My brain keeps going even when my day is done.

I rarely switch off properly. Thoughts about what I have not done follow me into my downtime.

I do not switch off at all. My mind is running constantly, even when I am trying to rest or sleep.

How much of your energy goes into appearing to cope, rather than actually coping?(Required)

I am not spending much energy on appearances. What people see is broadly how things are.

I put on a bit of a front sometimes, but it is not something I am doing every day.

A significant amount of my energy goes into appearing more together than I am.

I spend most of my energy managing how I look to other people. The real picture is very different.

Almost all of my energy goes into masking. On my own, I collapse. Nothing is left.

If someone close to you asked how you are really doing, what would you say?(Required)

I would tell them honestly that things are going reasonably well, because they are.

I would tell them it has been a bit much lately, but I am managing.

I would probably say I am fine, because explaining the real answer feels too complicated.

I would want to tell them the truth, but I would not know where to start. The real answer feels enormous.

I would say I am fine. Because telling the truth feels impossible, and I do not think anyone would understand.

Your first name(Required)

Where shall I send your results?(Required)

Your personalised results land here. Add linda@theadultadhdcoach.com to your contacts so they arrive safely.

Keep the help coming (optional)

Yes please. After my results, send me a few follow-up tips, then your practical ADHD and AuDHD strategies each week. Unsubscribe any time.

Consent(Required)

I am happy for my answers to be used to generate my results.

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About this self-test

This self-test is informed by the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The questions are written in plain English and adapted for the ways burnout shows up in ADHD or AuDHD brains.

It is not a diagnostic tool. If you are concerned about depression, anxiety, or persistent low mood, please speak with your GP or a mental health professional. This self-test can be a useful starting point for that conversation, not a substitute for it.

Want to read more about ADHD and burnout?

ADHD Burnout: What It Is, Why It Happens, What to Do
The ADHD Burnout Cycle: What the 5 Stages Actually Look Like
ADHD Burnout or Depression? How to Tell the Difference
Hurry Sickness and ADHD: Why You Cannot Stop Rushing
Recovering from ADHD Burnout: It Is Not About Trying Harder

Linda Fox, Adult ADHD Life & Business Coach

About Linda Fox

Linda Fox is an ICF-ACC credentialled adult ADHD coach (ADHD Life & Business Coach, CALC), coaching since 2000, with lived experience of ADHD herself. She works with entrepreneurs, legal and medical professionals, and others navigating demanding careers, helping them build practical strategies that fit how their brain actually works rather than fighting against it. UK-based, supporting clients with ADHD and AuDHD worldwide on Zoom.