Final answer:
Exhaustion is a state of physical or mental weariness caused by stress, repetitive tasks, illness, or lack of sleep. Chronic exposure to stress can lead to illness or job burnout, and stress is tied to serious psychological and physical health issues. Sleep deprivation has significant negative consequences on mental alertness, cognitive function, and overall health.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for physical or mental weariness caused by strain, repetitive tasks, illness, or lack of sleep is exhaustion. When the body is subjected to stress over extended periods, such as dealing with a missing child, working in a high-stress job, or suffering from lack of sleep, the individual may pass through the stage of exhaustion. This can deplete the body's ability to resist and may lead to illness, disease, and even death if the exposure to stressors continues without adequate recovery time. Signs of moving past a motivating challenge and harming one's health include extreme fatigue, muscle cramping, and other symptoms such as blurry vision, which occurred in the case study of Jasmin, a runner who experienced more than normal tiredness.
Chronic job strain can lead to job burnout, depression, and physical health problems like heart disease, hypertension, and major depressive disorder, particularly in high-risk groups such as manual labor workers or those with high stress levels and little job support. Stress is also linked to serious psychological conditions, such as PTSD and major depressive disorder, and can contribute to physical illness, as seen in studies following the September 11 attacks or those involving workers with high levels of job-related stress.
Sleep deprivation is another critical factor that can result in deteriorated body functions, including decreased mental alertness and cognitive function, depression-like symptoms, obesity, increased blood pressure, and reduced immunity. It is crucial to get adequate rest because cutting back on sleep creates a sleep debt that impairs brain and nervous system functions, thereby increasing susceptibility to illness and making activities like driving hazardous due to the potential for sleep deprivation related accidents.