What is change fatigue?

This pandemic has pushed us to our limits in so many different ways. This is true for every media professional I’ve talked to in the past 18 months. By now, the existence of our shared mental distress is not a question of “if”, but how serious it is and how we might address it.

In this story for On the media, Journalist Eloise Blondiau set out to describe “our pandemic state(s) of mind” and explore these questions: How can you even begin to articulate that mental toll? And what’s at stake in naming our mental distress?

It’s a powerful story every media professional should listen to, not only because it portrays the different nuances of our shared mental distress, but also because it sheds light on healing words that can help us in this critical moment.

There are few words in there that will sound quite familiar: languishing, trauma, breakdown and burnout. All of these brought another concept to mind: change fatigue.

In 2020, 7 out of 10 employees experienced burnout. You know how it feels: it’s this sheer mental exhaustion that sets in as we’re expected to adapt to a constantly changing work or life situation… like a pandemic.

That feeling is a clear sign of change fatigue and we need to talk about it. Scroll down to learn more about this issue and what you can do about it, whether you’re in leadership positions or not.

PS: We can’t change the past, but we can definitely laugh about it. Check out “Death to 2020” on Netflix and let humor take the edge off an unbearable year.