If you’re finding yourself more drained at the end of the workday than before, it’s not just you. “Zoom fatigue” is a sweeping phenomena that has dominated social media and Google searches since last March. It’s an interesting conversation since long daily commutes have been removed and more hours are being spent at home.
So, why has virtual work become so daunting? There are a few reasons.
According to the Psychiatric Times, video calls are more tiring because it forces us to focus more intently on conversations in order to understand and retain information. For example, if you’re in a regular office setting and miss something in a meeting, you can rely on context clues from side exchanges to bring you up to speed.
During a video call, however, it’s impossible to do this unless you use the private chat feature or awkwardly try to find a moment to unmute and ask a colleague to repeat themselves. It’s even more distressing if you or your team’s WIFI connection is lagging behind.
So, if working from home is unavoidable for you right now and it’s getting you down, here are a few tips that can help.
Don’t do more than one task at a time
It’s easy to assume that you can get more work done since you have more 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 percent of your productive time.
Researchers at Stanford found that people who multitask can’t remember things as well as their more singularly focused peers. The next time you’re on a short Zoom call, exit out of any instant messenger tabs, leave your phone in the other room and really tune in.
It’s hard, but remember that that Slack message can wait until after you’ve finished your meeting.
Try the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.
This can work wonders for marathon Zoom meetings as well. Taking mini breaks from video during longer calls by minimizing the window, moving it to behind your open applications, or just looking away from your computer completely for a few seconds now and then can really help.
For days when you can’t 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. If you are on an hour-long video call, make it okay for people to turn off their cameras for small parts of the call.
Cut down on on-screen distractions
Research shows that when you’re on video, you tend to spend a lot of time looking at your own face. Avoid this by switching to “speaker view.” Still, onscreen distractions go far beyond your own presence.
While on video at home, we’re not only looking at the other’s faces but also their intimate space as well. This is causing even more strain on the brain because it has to process all of these visual environmental cues in addition to the meeting’s subject matter. Save yourself by encouraging people to use plain backgrounds or suggest as a group to have everyone who is not talking turn off their video.
Make virtual networking events optional
After a marathon of video calls, it’s normal to feel drained, especially if you have a more introverted personality. That’s why virtual social sessions should be a choice, and never mandatory. It especially shouldn’t be an implication that opting-out would be a strike against them professionally.
Reprioritize video calls
Take a closer look at your calendar and determine if there are any conversations you could have over Slack or email instead. As the end of the workday draws near, ask the person to switch to a phone call or suggest picking up the conversation later so you can both recharge.
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