If you\u2019re finding that you\u2019re more exhausted at the end of your workday than you used to be, you\u2019re not alone. Over the past few weeks, mentions of \u201cZoom fatigue\u201d have popped up more and more on social media, and Google searches for the same phrase have steadily increased since early March.<\/p>\n
Why do we find video calls so draining? There are a few reasons.<\/p>\n
In part, it\u2019s because they force us to focus more intently on conversations in order to absorb information. Think of it this way: when you\u2019re sitting in a conference room, you can rely on whispered side exchanges to catch you up if you get distracted or answer quick, clarifying questions. During a video call, however, it\u2019s impossible to do this unless you use the private chat feature or awkwardly try to find a moment to unmute and ask a colleague to repeat themselves.<\/p>\n
The problem isn\u2019t helped by the fact that video calls make it easier than ever to lose focus. We\u2019ve all done it: decided that, why yes, we absolutely can listen intently, check our email, text a friend, and post a smiley face on Slack within the same thirty seconds. Except, of course, we don\u2019t end up doing much listening at all when we\u2019re distracted.\u00a0Adding fuel to the fire is many of our work-from-home situations. We\u2019re no longer just dialing into one or two virtual meetings. We\u2019re also continuously finding polite new ways to ask our loved ones not to disturb us, or tuning them out as they army crawl across the floor to grab their headphones off the dining table. For those who don\u2019t have a private space to work, it is especially challenging.<\/p>\n
Finally, \u201cZoom fatigue\u201d stems from how we process information over video. On a video call the only way to show we\u2019re paying attention is to look at the camera. But, in real life, how often do you stand within three feet of a colleague and stare at their face? Probably never. This is because having to engage in a \u201cconstant gaze\u201d makes us uncomfortable \u2014 and tired. In person, we are able to use our peripheral vision to glance out the window or look at others in the room. On a video call, because we are all sitting in different homes, if we turn to look out the window, we worry it might seem like we\u2019re not paying attention. Not to mention, most of us are also staring at a small window of ourselves, making us hyper-aware of every wrinkle, expression, and how it might be interpreted. Without the visual breaks we need to refocus, our brains grow fatigued.<\/p>\n
If this all sounds like bad news, don\u2019t despair. We have five research-based tips that can help make video calls less exhausting.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to think that you can use the opportunity to do more in less time, but research shows that trying to do multiple things at once cuts into performance. Because you have to turn certain parts of your brain off and on for different types of work, switching between tasks can cost you as much as 40 percent of your productive time. Researchers at Stanford found that people who multitask can\u2019t remember things as well as their more singularly focused peers. The next time you\u2019re on a video chat, close any tabs or programs that might distract you (e.g. your inbox or Slack), put your phone away, and stay present. We know it\u2019s tempting, but try to remind yourself that the Slack message you just got can wait 15 minutes, and that you\u2019ll be able to craft a better response when you\u2019re not also on a video chat.<\/p>\n
Take mini breaks from video during longer calls by minimizing the window, moving it to behind your open applications, or just looking away from your computer completely for a few seconds now and then. We\u2019re all more used to being on video now (and to the stressors that come with nonstop facetime). Your colleagues probably understand more than you think \u2014 it is possible to listen without staring at the screen for a full thirty minutes. This is not an invitation to start doing something else, but to let your eyes rest for a moment. For days when you can\u2019t avoid back-to-back calls, consider making meetings 25 or 50 minutes (instead of the standard half-hour and hour) to give yourself enough time in between to get up and move around for a bit. If you are on an hour-long video call, make it okay for people to turn off their cameras for parts of the call.<\/p>\n
Research shows that when you\u2019re on video, you tend to spend the most time gazing at your own face. This can be easily avoided by hiding yourself from view. Still, onscreen distractions go far beyond yourself. You may be surprised to learn that on video, we not only focus on other\u2019s faces, but on their backgrounds as well. If you\u2019re on a call with five people, you may feel like you\u2019re in five different rooms at once. You can see their furniture, plants, and wallpaper. You might even strain to see what books they have on their shelves. The brain has to process all of these visual environmental cues at the same time. To combat mental fatigue, encourage people to use plain backgrounds (e.g. a poster of a peaceful beach scene), or agree as a group to have everyone who is not talking turn off their video.<\/p>\n
After a long day of back-to-back video calls, it\u2019s normal to feel drained, particularly if you\u2019re an introvert. That\u2019s why virtual social sessions should be kept opt-in, meaning whoever owns the event makes it explicit that people are welcome, but not obligated, to join. You might also consider appointing a facilitator if you\u2019re expecting a large group. This person can open by asking a question, and then make it clear in what order people should speak, so everyone gets to hear from one another and the group doesn\u2019t start talking all at once. It\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed if we don\u2019t know what\u2019s expected of us, or if we\u2019re constantly trying to figure out when we should or should not chime in.<\/p>\n
Check your calendar for the next few days to see if there are any conversations you could have over Slack or email instead. If 4PM rolls around and you\u2019re Zoomed-out but have an upcoming one-on-one, ask the person to switch to a phone call or suggest picking up the conversation later so you can both recharge. Try something like, \u201cI\u2019d love a break from video calls. Do you mind if we do this over the phone?\u201d Most likely the other person will be relieved by the switch, too.<\/p>\n
Many people now feel a tendency to treat video as the default for all communication. In situations where you\u2019re communicating with people outside of your organization (clients, vendors, networking, etc.) \u2014 conversations for which you used to rely on phone calls \u2014 you may feel obligated to send out a Zoom link instead. But a video call is fairly intimate and can even feel invasive in some situations. For example, if you\u2019re asked to do a career advice call and you don\u2019t know the person you\u2019re talking to, sticking to phone is often a safer choice. If your client FaceTimes you with no warning, it\u2019s okay to decline and suggest a call instead.<\/p>\n
Some of these tips might be hard to follow at first (especially that one about resisting the urge to tab-surf during your next Zoom call). But taking these steps can help you prevent feeling so exhausted at the thought of another video chat. It\u2019s tiring enough trying to adapt to this new normal. Make video calls a little easier for yourself.<\/p>\n
Source: Harvard Business Review, 2020 (www.hbr.org)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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