2020: The Year of Decision Fatigue
Lately the world of marketing, PR and communications has seemed like one sensitive decision after another. How to address COVID-19 the right way; how to address racial tensions in the right way. How to advise clients to engage in these conversations in the right ways.
These huge topics of conversation are so critical, yet complex. Not only are we responsible for the ways we engage in the conversations personally, but we’re responsible for the ways that brands, organizations and companies are engaging in these conversations.
It’s tough making hard decisions repeatedly, looking at situations from every angle, analyzing how your stakeholders are feeling constantly. You’re likely experiencing Decision Fatigue. According to Healthline, “Decision fatigue is the emotional and mental strain resulting from a burden of choices.” Whether it’s deciding whether to wear a mask, or whether to post a potentially polarizing message on a client social media account, we are being faced with new decisions, and they all seem heavy.
According to Forbes, Mark Zuckerberg and former President Barak Obama essentially wear some version of the same outfit each day just to cut down on the decisions they have to make and to reserve their mental capacity for more important things. The idea of Decision Fatigue isn’t new, but the climate of our world in 2020 is bringing it to the forefront. While you may not be able to eliminate the number of decisions you’re required to make at work, could you eliminate some of the decisions you have to make in your personal life?
Think strategic preparation. Whether that means planning meals ahead, reducing the number of coffee options you sift through each morning, or sticking to the exact same exercise routine each day, these could be avenues to lessen the Decision Fatigue you might be experiencing. Minimizing ‘low-stakes’ decisions as they’re referred to by Healthline, could allow you to spend more mental energy and clarity on the decisions that require your full focus.