Why is this better?
You feel a connection to Emma. Maybe you've been in a similar situation. So much work, no time to rest, you just feel more tired than you've felt in a long time.
So now you understand: 'exhausted' is more extreme than 'tired'. And when we add that collocation 'completely exhausted', we're amplifying it even more. Not just extremely tired, but completely done. You can't go on anymore. There's this feeling of extreme tiredness.
You start to FEEL something. You have this connection. And THAT is what makes new vocabulary stick in your brain – not just reading it from a list.