13.04.2023 Isabel Hempel 7197

Zoom fatigue: 4 tips to combat video conference fatigue

Most of us feel tired and exhausted after virtual meetings via Zoom, Teams or Google Meet. This is because video conferences put a strain on our psyche. Four tips on how to avoid Zoom fatigue.

The first virtual meeting with the team starts at 9:00 a.m., followed by a 15-minute break before heading straight into the next Google Meet with an external agency. The rest of the day is then spent in bilateral video conferences between colleagues when questions arise or a joint project is being worked on.

For those who work in virtual teams or from home a lot, many meetings and workshops now take place virtually, and often at a high frequency.

When we spend a lot of time communicating with our colleagues via screens for days on end, it exhausts us and we become increasingly exhausted. There is already a term for this type of exhaustion: Zoom fatigue . Virtual communication is challenging for our brains because this type of communication is highly intensive and sometimes sends the wrong messages.

Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL), has identified four episodes of prolonged video chatting that contribute to the feeling of "Zoom fatigue".

And he has found four simple solutions on how you can avoid "zoom fatigue".

4 tips on how to get through long meetings in a relaxed manner

1. remove zoom & co. from the full screen function

Many pairs of eyes focused on you, constant eye contact or your boss's face in full screen on your monitor: video meetings increase the number of times we look at each other and therefore increase stress, says communication scientist Bailenson.

The sheer size of the faces on the screens is also unnatural. If a person's face were so close to ours in real life, our brain would interpret that the situation would either lead to physical contact (mating) or conflict.

"If you use Zoom for many hours, you are in a hyper-excited state," summarizes Bailenson. He recommends removing the video conference from the full-screen option and reducing the size of the video window in relation to the monitor. Using an external keyboard can also provide more distance and thus cognitive relief. 

2. hide the self-view

Most video platforms show how you look in front of the camera during a chat. This is a completely unnatural and sometimes unpleasant experience for us, says the Stanford researcher.

People who are constantly confronted with their own reflection, for example, are much more self-critical. As a solution, Bailenson recommends that platforms change their standard practice of sending the video to both themselves and others. In the meantime, users should use the "hide self-view" button, which can be accessed in some programs by right-clicking on their own image as soon as they see that their face is properly framed in the video. If this function is not available, stick a post-it on your own video image, for example.

3. increase your range of motion

Video chats drastically restrict our usual mobility. While we can walk around and move around during face-to-face meetings and audio calls, we are generally stuck in the same place during a video conference. In the long term, this not only harms our bodies - keyword neck and back tension - but also our mental fitness. "More and more research is showing that people who move perform better cognitively," says Bailenson.

Bailenson recommends thinking more about the room in which the video conference takes place: Where is the camera positioned? An external keyboard can help to create distance or flexibility and to pace or scribble on a flipchart in virtual meetings just as we do in real meetings.

In addition, everyone should follow the basic rule of regularly switching off the video during the meeting to allow themselves a short non-verbal break .

4. allow yourself "audio only" breaks

The communication scientist notes that in a face-to-face interaction, non-verbal communication in the form of gestures is also completely natural and can be easily interpreted.

In video chats, on the other hand, we have to make more of an effort to send and receive signals. For example, if you want to show that you agree, you have to nod excessively or stick your thumb up. This increases the cognitive load and therefore the mental calorie consumption, says Bailenson.

So take an "audio only" break during longer meetings, in which you switch off the camera and consciously turn your body away from the screen. In any case, it is advisable to take a short break after 45 minutes of video chatting.

Source: https://news.stanford.edu/2021/02/23/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions/

Stanford University survey on "Zoom fatigue"

If you are interested in measuring your Zoom fatigue, you can take part in the survey and participate in the research project: Zoom Fatigue Survey