Sage Enviro Blog

The last thing I remember is cresting the hill on my bicycle.

The next thing I remember is waking up in the ambulance. The 20 or 30 minutes in between are gone, irretrievable. Even interviewing the first responders and visiting the scene of the accident did nothing to jog my memory.

Maybe it’s a good thing. I don’t remember how much it must have hurt to hit the pavement.

The doctor said my concussion was considered severe because I both had amnesia and lost consciousness. He told me to rest my brain so it could heal. Nothing taxing. Watch TV and read easy books.

At first I was capable of brief bursts of brilliance, followed by light-headedness and a low-pitched humming in my head. As time went on, I could function at my normal level for longer periods of time. But then I had to go lie down.

Physical activity was easier, less wearing, than mental activity. But if I thought too hard, I was incapable of exercising hard.

Today marks eight weeks since the accident. I’m finally approaching my normal state of mind. I’ve managed a couple of hard days and can still function the following day. That’s major progress.

But I’m conscious of how much energy it takes to think about things.

We need to remember that when we are creating messages and strategies. If people have to think too hard, you’ve lost them, right out of the starting gate. You’ll have a tough time regaining their attention.

In my presentations on persuasive communications, I talk about two states of mind: the Habitual Brain and the Executive/Rational Brain.

The habitual brain is like Homer Simpson. It’s unconscious, uncontrolled, rapid fire. It’s gut reaction. It’s sometimes called the lizard brain or puppy brain.

The executive/rational brain is like The Thinker. It’s conscious and self-aware. It’s deductive and slow. It’s controlled and follows rules. It’s sometimes called the adult brain.

Who’s in charge? Most of the time, most of us are operating more like Homer Simpson than like The Thinker. We may not act in our self-interest. Instead, we do what is easy.

A friend of mine was excited about a new app that someone was working on. You point your iPhone at a product in the store and the app tells you how hazardous or toxic it is. This is meant to help you decide whether you want to buy it.

I said that would lead to shopper paralysis. People just want to buy it and get out.

Rather than doing deductive reasoning about which product is better, we’re thinking about what we can cook for dinner and whether we’ll be late picking up the kids from day care.

I can tell you from what I’ve been going through: Keep it simple. Don’t make people think too much. It’s too taxing. They’ll tune you out.

Annette Frahm is principal of Sage Enviro, www.sageenviro.com, which specializes in green marketing communications and creating strategies for a green future.