Since we were asked to work from home, I have heard many people say that they are exhausted at the end of the day from the amount of Zoom or Teams calls and meetings. Over the past few weeks, mentions of “Zoom fatigue” have surfaced increasingly on social media, and Google searches for this phrase have gradually increased since early March. Now that we are asked to return to the office a few times a week, we still communicate via Zoom or Teams.
Why do we find virtual calls so exhausting? This is because they force us to concentrate more carefully on the discussions to absorb the material. During a Zoom or Team call, unless you use the private chat feature or try to find a moment to unmute and ask a colleague to repeat themselves, it is impossible if you miss something.
Research has provided some tips to make those virtual calls less exhausting.
Avoid multitasking.
It is easy to think that you can use the opportunity to do more in less time, but research shows that trying multiple things simultaneously cuts into performance. Researchers at Stanford found that people who multitask cannot remember things as well as their more singularly focused peers. The next time you’re on a virtual chat, close any tabs or programs that might distract you, put your phone away, and stay present.
Build-in breaks.
Take mini-breaks from virtual calls during longer calls by minimizing the window, moving it to behind your open applications, or just looking away from your computer thoroughly for a few seconds now and then. It is possible to listen without staring at the screen for a full 30 minutes. This is not an invitation to start doing something else but to let your eyes rest for a moment. For days when you cannot avoid back-to-back calls, consider making meetings 25 or 50 minutes (instead of the standard half-hour and hour) to give yourself enough time in between to get up and move around for a bit.
Reduce onscreen stimuli.
Research shows that when you are on camera virtual calls, you tend to spend the most time gazing at your own face. This can be easily avoided by hiding yourself from view. Still, onscreen distractions go far beyond yourself. You may be surprised to learn that, virtually, we focus on other people’s faces and backgrounds. To combat mental fatigue, encourage people to use plain backgrounds (e.g., a poster of a peaceful beach scene).
Make virtual social events opt-in.
After a long day of back-to-back virtual calls, it is expected to feel drained, mainly if you are an introvert. That is why virtual social sessions should be kept opt-in, meaning whoever owns the event makes it explicit that people are welcome, but not obligated, to join. You might also consider appointing a facilitator if you expect a large group. This person can open up by asking a question and then making it clear in what order people should speak so that everyone gets to hear from one another and the group does not start talking all at once. It is easy to get overwhelmed if we do not know what is expected of us or are constantly trying to figure out when we should or should not chime in.
Switch to phone calls or emails.
Check your calendar for the next few days to see if there are any conversations you could have over email instead. If 4 PM rolls around and you are Zoomed out but have an upcoming one-on-one, ask the person to switch to a phone call or suggest picking up the conversation later to recharge. Try something like, “I’d love a break from virtual calls. Do you mind if we do this over the phone?” The other person will most likely be relieved by the switch, too.
Avoid defaulting to virtual for external calls, especially if you do not know each other well. Many people now tend to treat virtual as the default for all communication. In situations where you are communicating with people outside of your organization — conversations for which you used to rely on phone calls — you may feel obligated to send out a Zoom or Team link instead. However, a virtual call is fairly intimate and can even feel invasive in some situations.
Some of these tips might be hard to follow initially. But taking these steps can help you prevent feeling so exhausted at the thought of another virtual chat. It is tiring enough trying to adapt to this new normal. Make virtual calls a little easier for yourself.
