“Zoom fatigue” is no joke. There’s science to prove it. Nonetheless, you can keep it from knocking you out. Here’s how.

What Is Zoom Fatigue?
It’s a term that refers to the fact that humans can get especially exhausted from online video-call interactions. It’s not specific to the Zoom videotelephony/online chat service platform, though Zoom’s popularity in the space has led to its name becoming a slang term for the phenomenon. To be clear, Zoom fatigue can happen when using any video-calling interface, such as Skype, Google Hangouts and FaceTime.

Why Is Zoom Fatigue All of a Sudden Such a Big Deal?
Online searches and social media mentions of “Zoom fatigue” have soared of late. The obvious reason is the coronavirus pandemic. Huge swaths of the population have been working entirely from home due to coronavirus-compelled shutdown mandates and health precautions. Furthermore, people are using video-interfacing/conferencing applications more than ever to socialize from a distance (think virtual happy hours). As that’s happened, the fatigue phenomenon has become more prevalent.

Why Does It Happen?
The short answer, according to scientists, is that video calls increase demand on the human brain beyond what would be in a face-to-face setting. That’s mentally and emotionally taxing. A dearth of nonverbal cues and the need to focus more intently to process information are key causes of the strain, but not the only ones. For a more in-depth explanation of the “why,” check out this article in National Geographic.

Video chats seem simple: open computer, have conversation. Yet as the pandemic pushes most relationships online, an emotional exhaustion is setting in for many. For @NatGeo, I looked into why video chats are actually very complicated and hard on the brain: https://t.co/FZ05aScxc4

— Julia Faith Sklar (@jfsklar) April 24, 2020

How Do You Beat Zoom Fatigue?

Get in a Good Frame of Mind Ahead of Time: Writing for Mindful.org, psychologist Dr. Steven Hickman suggests that you prepare for your video meeting by taking a few deep breaths and entering a state of mindful awareness. “Feel your body on the chair, notice whatever is present in your mind and allow yourself to arrive fully to the moment at hand,” Hickman says. This can help calm jangly nerves and reel in a scattered racing brain – all of which can be further supported with some positive self-talk.

Refrain From Multi-Tasking: It’s tempting, and most have done it. While others are speaking on the video call, you turn your attention away to another work task. Two for one! Only, not really. Multi-tasking puts additional stress on your brain, tends to decrease work quality, and can cost you up to 40% of your productivity, studies have shown. So, when you’re on your next video call, set your other work aside, close out of email, and do your best to be present. You’ll probably feel less worn out after the call if you do.

Hide Yourself From Your Own View: This means people can still see you but you no longer see yourself on the screen. Taking this step keeps you from overanalyzing yourself and your particular surroundings – a common problem. For introverts and folks of a more self-conscious bent, this can relieve a significant burden of distraction and stress.

Keep On-Screen Stimulation to a Minimum: As Harvard Business Review points out, people on video calls focus on other participants’ faces – and their backgrounds. As such, if you’re conferencing with seven people, you’re brain is working extra hard to take in everything about their surroundings, too. To stave off the mental weariness this can cause, “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,” Harvard Business Review recommends.

Hope folks might find this helpful. The silence in remote meeting technique we discuss works so well and is super engaging for attendees. It is worth a try especially given all the meeting fatigue out there. https://t.co/FRWMOyajsk

— Steven Rogelberg (@stevenrogelberg) April 29, 2020

Designate Downtime Between Meetings: Sure, it’s not always possible to do. But whenever you can, schedule breaks in between your video calls. This gives you time to recoup mental and physical energy and will likely leave you far less sapped by day’s end. To help the reboot, get away from your screens for a bit. Consider doing low-impact exercise – a short (socially distanced) walk, some jumping jacks or pushups, maybe light aerobics and stretches. Also, try getting outside for a few minutes for some head-clearing deep breaths.  

Take Mini-Breaks From Screen-Staring: During longer video interactions, staring at the screen continuously can leave you feeling wiped out. When possible, step away from the camera for a moment to give your eyes a rest and stretch. Remain within hearing/speaking distance so you can keep track of things and chime in when necessary. This might not be possible on every call, but when you’re interacting with familiar colleagues they’re probably not going to be miffed by your doing this. After all, they’ll likely want to do the same.

Use Email or Chat Where Applicable: “Too many time-consuming meetings.” It was a common complaint around the office – back when we were in offices. Even though many of those meetings have now gone virtual, the criticism can still apply. Before scheduling a video-interfacing session, consider if what you’re trying to achieve with the meeting can be done more efficiently through email or a quick virtual chat. If it can, you’ll probably save yourself time and brainpower.  

Remember the Good Stuff: Yes, video interfacing can be draining, but it’s also nothing short of a modern miracle that’s helping to keep business moving and people connected in ways that would have been unimaginable not all that long ago. Hickman suggests we all “learn to find a way to assimilate (this amazing technology) into a full spectrum of interpersonal experiences that our new lives include. Let’s be present to absence, without becoming absent to presence. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it to develop this new capacity.”