Many of us who work from home frequently use Zoom and other video meeting software. The results of this have surprised us.
For many of us, it might be unsettling to have enormous heads glaring at us closely for extended periods of time. Never mind that we feel like we should put on cosmetics, style our hair, or get dressed.
Regardless of the video platform you use, you undoubtedly have significant Zoom fatigue. Neuroscience specialists claim that because gazing so intently at other people’s faces on screens—as well as our own—gives our systems a lot of information to absorb, it is unnatural for us to do so. It is cognitive overload. According to ophthalmologists, it also causes us to forget to blink, which makes our eyes heavy and dry.
What is Zoom Fatigue?
We are all spending more time on video chats, which is physically and intellectually taxing, whether it’s for a business meeting, an online lesson, or a family or social gathering. The syndrome known as “Zoom Fatigue” is what we experience when we participate in too many video conferences.
It’s vital to emphasize that Zoom Fatigue applies to all video chat applications, including Google Meet, Skype, Facetime, Microsoft Teams, and HouseParty, among others. The ailment is called after the Zoom app because of its ubiquity. You could be suffering Zoom Fatigue if you frequently feel exhausted after Zoom meetings or feel like you don’t want to attend as many virtual meetings.
The most typical signs of zoom fatigue include:
- Feelings of burnout
- Anxiety
- Eye strain
- Lack of motivation
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increasing impatience and irritability
- Headaches
- Back pain
- Low productivity
Each person will experience video call weariness differently. The majority or all of these symptoms may be experienced by some persons while just one or two by others.
Why are video calls so exhausting?
Why do online meetings require so much more energy than in-person ones? We didn’t have to drag ourselves there or stress about how we looked below the waist, after all. Let’s investigate further.
1. Focusing on others triggers a stress response
Your level of fatigue may be impacted if you often use Zoom while seated stationary. Maintaining eye contact with other Zoom users while sitting straight causes our neurological and neuromuscular systems to go into what seems like a freeze reaction.
Our bodies recognize this as a stress reaction and communicate it to the brain, which results in a stress dosage being distributed throughout the body. Not the best situation if you’re trying to catch up on a job assignment.
2. Eye contact is intense
In a face-to-face conversation, we would typically sometimes glance away. On Zoom, though, it could come out as unpleasant and look like we’re preoccupied. Zoom meetings cause the opposite effect, whereas looking away helps the eyes to rest and allows our body to unwind.
We keep eye-to-eye contact throughout Zoom sessions, which is tremendously intense and uncomfortable for some individuals. You’re up close and personal with other people’s faces, gazing into their eyes in a way that only occurs in real life when you’re dating or in another equally private setting.
3. It’s yet another way to fill our time with screen activity
Your brain must deal with a considerably higher amount of information when you log into Zoom calls between emails and other screen activities. We’re all guilty of scrolling through our phones as a break from gazing at our computers. This is not sustainable.
Additionally, we anticipate that there will be a backlog of emails after we end the video session, adding to the information overload. Every minute that is packed with activity increases anxiety, lengthens the workday, and reduces our free time.
4. We can’t read body language
Without without realizing it, we get information about those we are around via their body language or reading their facial expressions. On video chats, this is more difficult since our brains must work harder to interpret the surroundings, which may be draining.
In real life, we would see a person as a whole, and our brain would interpret other people’s body language as safety indicators. Do we feel at ease around them and do we like them? Your brain works overtime to attempt to read someone when you can only see a tiny portion of them and they are not moving. This keeps you on high alert while your brain processes the scant information it has. That effect is amplified if you have a large caller base.
The brain needs to work extra hard to process the information while we’re on Zoom or another sort of video chat. This requires a lot of mental effort and energy, which is why you could feel worn out or worried after a lengthy Zoom chat.
5. It chips away at our self-worth
How often do you observe participants in Zoom meetings adjusting their facial expressions or playing with their hair as if they were shooting a selfie? We devote the same amount of time to evaluating ourselves as we do others. We had never been required to attend a conference, breakfast, or family gathering where we had to spend hours staring in the mirror. We have a brain that is inundated with considerably more information than would occur elsewhere when we combine anxieties about appearance, which many people claim is a worry on Zoom, with all the other elements.
combined with “I’m being noticed!”
“How do I look?” and “.”
creates anxiety, which must be handled in the moment via calmness. This requires us to practice more restraint, which is draining as well.
6. Tired and itchy ‘Zoom eyes’
Ophthalmologists refer to this condition as “Zoom eyes” if you have heavy, fatigued eyes that are red, itchy, or overwatering. By the end of the day, you can no longer gaze at a screen, which is one of the most noticeable symptoms.
We blink six to eight times less frequently when video chatting or staring at a screen than usual. As a result, your tears, which act as little sips of water to keep your eyes moist, are not replaced as frequently. When you are on a Zoom call, your eyes feel almost parched.
How to Make Video Calls Less Tiring
You may take certain actions to attempt to lessen the effects of zoom fatigue and improve your attitude and productivity.
1. Turn off the video function
Fans of “camera-off” will be delighted by this. When it’s not essential, such as when you’re merely viewing a presentation, you can simply switch off your camera. You may even choose to make a traditional phone call rather than a (digital) face-to-face one.
2. Hide the ‘self-view’ panel
You might also utilize Zoom’s “hide my selfie” feature, which is located just below the three dots in the upper right corner of your picture. Switch on your camera, quickly verify that your lighting is good, then turn off self-view to relieve the tension of always having to gaze at your own face.
It implies that you are visible to others yet are not required to gaze in the mirror. Just be sure to check that it is on before you begin to drool!
3. Don’t multitask during online meetings
We are all aware of how alluring it is to open another window and check your emails or messaging applications when on a video conversation. You should close all other browser tabs on your computer and concentrate just on the current meeting until it is done.
4. Build in breaks
In order to keep energized when participating in regular video conferences, experts advise taking breaks from the screen. Incorporate regular, brief breaks away from the computer and in between video calls.
When you’re taking a break, resist the urge to just check social media or your phone. Get up, stretch, and go outside if you can for some fresh air and a little stroll. You may give yourself the energy boost you need to tackle your upcoming Zoom call by getting your heart rate up.
5. Keep meetings shorter
Keep online conferences brief and concentrated. They shouldn’t go on without a break for more than an hour. Set up a clear agenda if it’s your meeting; if it’s someone else’s meeting, get a summary.
6. Do eye yoga
Look away from your laptop for 30 seconds every 20 minutes.
- Put your eyes to sleep by “palming.” Take a deep breath and push the base of your palms into your eyes after rubbing your hands together to make them heated. This will allow the eyes to relax and rehydrate.
- Exercise your focus. Grab a pencil, place it in front of your eyes, and pay attention to it. Move it in front of and behind your face. Allow your eyes to follow it in a circular motion while keeping your head still to give them the opportunity to gaze anywhere else than straight ahead.
- Face tapping. Once per hour, give your face a little tap with your fingertips to let off tension and promote smoothness.
7. Consider alternatives instead
Needing a Zoom meeting—really? Could a simple phone call take the place of a video catch-up? Or perhaps it would be simpler to contact someone and exchange a file with extensive notes.