It is no surprise that people are running on low fuel these days. We’ve had to totally reinvent ourselves to accommodate this new virtual world, which may stay with us for a while. Daily in-person interactions have become screen connections. While there are good things about communicating through Zoom and other platforms, there are also downsides, including mental and physical fatigue. Keeping up with virtual interactions can be exhausting! Here are some practical coping techniques.

# 1 - Prolonged Eye Contact

We are spending hours engaging in lengthy and close-up eye contact. When in-person, people randomly search the room, look up at the speaker, and take notes, ultimately reducing the amount of eye contact. Now we spend hours looking directly at faces without bodies, staring at ourselves while we talk. In a video call, the only way to show we are paying attention is to look at the camera. But pre-COVID, how often did you stand within three feet of a colleague and stare at his or her face? Probably never since it feels unnatural.

Depending on your monitor size and how you are using an external monitor, faces on videoconferencing calls can appear too large for comfort. That, too, is unnatural, and our brains interpret it as intense, according to Professor Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab.

Solution: Take Zoom out of the full-screen option and reduce the size of the Zoom window relative to the monitor to minimize face size. You can also hide yourself from your view while allowing others to still see you. Check your settings.

To give your eyes a break, look away from your computer completely for a few seconds. Try to space virtual appointments out by 25 to 50 minutes to give yourself enough time to get up and move around and use the time between meetings to take a break from your screen.

#2 - Multitasking

Resist the urge to multitask during a virtual session. It’s 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% of your productive time. Researchers at Stanford found that people who multitask can’t remember things as well as their more singularly focused peers.

Solution: Minimize distractions on your computer by closing other windows and programs. Put your phone away and stay present. Remind yourself that the message you just got can wait 15 minutes and that you’ll be able to craft a better response when you aren’t also on a video chat. If you are already fatigued from using Zoom, avoid exhausting yourself further by attempting to multitask.

#3 - Reduced Mobility

In-person and audio phone conversations allow us to walk and move around. However, with videoconferencing, most cameras have a set field of view, meaning you generally need to stay put. Movement is limited in ways that don’t feel natural, according to Professor Bailenson. He adds: “There’s growing research now that says when people are moving, they’re performing better cognitively.”

Solution: Focus more on the room you are videoconferencing in, where the camera is positioned, and whether things like an external keyboard can help create distance or flexibility. For example, an external camera positioned farther away from the screen will allow you to stretch out and take notes like you do in real meetings. If you need to take a break during a virtual meeting, turn off the video feature for a moment to give yourself a brief, nonverbal rest.

Sources:

Stanford researchers identify four causes for “Zoom Fatigue” and their simple fixes.

Harvard Business Review: How to Combat Zoom Fatigue.

Harvard University: Minimizing Zoom Fatigue.