What cognitive impairment is closely tied to the feeling of being Overwhelmed when cognitive bandwidth is depleted?

Difficulty concentrating or making simple decisions because cognitive bandwidth is completely used up.

The feeling of being overwhelmed in burnout signifies that the individual's resilience threshold has been breached, often manifesting as an inability to cope with minor daily demands that extend beyond work. This symptom is intimately linked to cognitive impairment because the brain's processing power, or cognitive bandwidth, is entirely dedicated to managing the primary symptoms like exhaustion and cynicism. Consequently, when small interruptions occur—such as receiving an email or answering a simple question—they register as an insurmountable imposition. This translates directly into practical difficulty concentrating on complex tasks or making even simple decisions, as the mental resources required for processing inputs have been exhausted managing the internal crisis state.