What term refers to the state of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion that negatively affects motivation and performance?

Burnout is characterized by a state of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion that arises due to prolonged stress or overexertion, particularly in work or caregiving environments. This condition often results in diminished motivation, lower performance, and feelings of helplessness and inefficacy. The exhaustion experienced during burnout can lead to a lack of enthusiasm for tasks that previously were engaging or fulfilling, significantly impacting an individual's ability to perform at their usual level.

The other terms presented describe different concepts. Cognitive load pertains to the amount of mental effort being used in the working memory, and while it can affect performance, it does not specifically encompass the emotional and physical exhaustion aspect. The bystander effect refers to the social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim when other people are present, relating more to social behaviors than personal exhaustion. Cognitive dissonance describes the mental discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or values, which is unrelated to the state of exhaustion that burnout encapsulates.