26 Jun The Challenge Of Zoom Fatigue

Whether you’re working from home or back in the office, you probably can’t escape it. Maybe it’s with coworkers, a new client, or even with your family. Whatever the situation is, you too have been part of a dreaded string of Zoom meetings. And now, as our face-to-face connection gets turned into Zoom call after Zoom call, researchers are seeing a new phenomenon occur: Zoom fatigue. In this post we’re going to explain some of the underlying causes of fatigue of video meetings and ways that you can combat it.

Having a meeting is not a new concept. What is new are all the facets that go into video conferencing specifically. According to the BBC, these calls require more energy in order to process non-verbal cues like facial expressions. Also, our brains can often be on overloaded when there are multiple screens on a single call. Mix in the energy required to overcome technical errors, and a video meeting quickly goes from simple to taxing.

What are some ways to combat the drain? Although Zoom may be here to stay, there are a few things you can do to lessen the strain. If you’re someone who often has several meetings a day, make it a goal to allow yourself a gap between meetings. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, that break can help you recuperate. Also, put your Zoom setting into speaker view instead of gallery view. This will focus on the primary speaker instead of 10+ participant windows at once. Is the meeting between just a few people? Suggest a simple phone call, that way there’s no possible eye strain, visual overload, and you can move around a little bit more freely.

Although these are just a few helpful insights, we think they’ll go a long way in helping prevent video meeting burnout. Do you have any tips to share? Let us know via our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.