Do you wonder why you feel exhausted after calling it a day from your work at home setup? Shouldn’t the cut in commute times and the comfort of your home make your workdays more relaxing? Well, you are not alone, and if you want to pin down the reason, your video conference calls are to be blamed. You are zoom fatigued.

Let us understand why you are feeling more zoom fatigued

You are more focused

Video calls require you to be more focused than conference room meetings. There is more eye contact, and your faculties are more engaged. In a conference room meeting, you can look elsewhere while paying attention to the discussion. There is always the possibility of asking your colleague if you miss something.

However, when you are in a video call, you have to give your undivided attention and constantly look at your screen. You are in a situation where you may feel that everyone’s attention is solely on you. You can relate to this situation as being on stage where everyone’s eyes are on you.

Reduced mobility

When you are working from home and attending video calls, your mobility gets restricted. With the camera focusing on your face, it often becomes challenging to even shift in your seat. When you are in the office, there is more movement, and your body tends to get refreshed every time you head to meeting rooms or walk while attending phone calls.

More effort

During video-conferencing calls, you have to make an extra effort in demonstrating that you are present and listening. The constant nodding to acknowledge and demonstrate that you agree with the speaker is making you more tired than you can imagine. Add to it, the constant pressure to be in the centre of the little box of your visuals is stressing you out more. In your office, there is no pressure on you as long as you are not the speaker.

Also Read: Resilience in the times of Covid 19

What can you do to reduce zoom fatigue?

Opt for the audio-only option

Whenever you can, opt out of the video option. It will reduce the load on your faculties and give you a break from sitting in one spot constantly. In a long meeting, try taking a short break and hide your view. Move around to give your body rest from the stress of making endless gestures.

Put the camera at a distance

Try to organise your work home office set up a bit differently. You can place your camera a little far away to give you the space you need during the video calls. It will prevent you from making constant eye contact and unnecessary gestures during the calls.

If you cannot do that, try putting it sideways instead of placing it right in front of your face.

Change the view

Research suggests when you are in a video call, you tend to look at your face more than required. You can easily avoid it by hiding your view. You can also request the other members to opt for a plain background so that you do not feel you are in multiple rooms at once.

From what it looks like, we are in for a long game, and video calls are here to stay. These tips can help you fight video call-related exhaustion.

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