Work-related exhaustion
Put what has changed into words.
Persistent tiredness, feeling overwhelmed or losing engagement deserve attention. This page helps you describe your experience and identify people who can help; it does not provide a diagnosis.
A personal note-taking guide. This page does not collect health questionnaire answers, calculate a score or store your personal responses.
Notice changes without labelling yourself
INRS, the French occupational health and safety institute, describes changes including reduced energy, concentration difficulties, irritability and unusual disengagement. These signs are not specific to burnout. A healthcare professional can assess your situation.
Prepare a dated example: what has changed, when it started and how it affects your everyday life. You do not need to find the right label before asking for help.
Examine working conditions too
INRS identifies factors including excessive workload, limited control over work and insufficient support. Describe tasks, deadlines, available resources and opportunities to agree priorities. Prevention also involves how work is organised.
Separate what you can report from what requires a collective decision. For example: three urgent requests arriving together, no clear priority and nobody available to resolve the conflict.
Prepare a conversation with the right person
Your usual doctor can be a starting point for discussing your health. In France, the occupational physician can consider how your situation relates to your job and whether adjustments or specialist care may be appropriate, as INRS explains.
For working conditions, also identify someone you trust at work: a manager, employee representative or prevention service. Prepare a specific request, such as clarifying priorities and resources. Outside France, contact the equivalent local services. Career change is not a substitute for healthcare.
Notes to take to an appointment
Copy these prompts into your personal notes. Keep the description factual and share what is useful with the person you choose.
| Prompt | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Change noticed | What is different in your everyday life and when it began. |
| Work situation | A dated example, the tasks, deadline and available resources. |
| Practical effect | What this makes difficult at work or outside work. |
| Support and questions | Who to contact and what you want to ask. |
These notes can make a conversation easier. They cannot confirm or rule out burnout.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked on 9 September 2026. The exercises are proposed by Jobiwan; they are not tests validated by the organisations cited. Linked official sources are in French.
centrées sur le travail et son organisation
Original French quotation: prevention must focus on work and its organisation. Updated 24 September 2024. Covers signs, occupational factors, prevention and occupational physicians.
Start with prevention resources
Read the INRS guidance to prepare a conversation about your situation and working conditions in France.