There’s no debate about it, more people have gone remote over the past two years than there were at any point prior to the pandemic in the history of computing. At the start of the pandemic, Zoom meetings went from an average of 10 million to 300 million per day, and that’s only counting Zoom. Other platforms like Google Meet and Microsoft Teams saw similar spikes.
The generic term that has gripped society, much like many people using Kleenex to describe a tissue, is simply to Zoom. Between remote working and online schooling, we have all found ourselves in Zoom overload. But there are ways to combat Zoom fatigue to try to keep ourselves focused and fresh. After all, it’s always nice to see someone face to face when all you’ve had is your four walls, but you’re still staring at a screen.
No Multitasking
By allowing yourself to split your focus during a Zoom meeting, you become less effective at everything you’re trying to do. Stay focused on the meeting to achieve your goals before you move on.
Take Breaks
It’s not easy sitting, standing, concentrating, or looking into a screen for extended periods of time. We all need breaks from time to time, so make sure you schedule a few minutes between Zoom calls to stretch, grab a bite, or get a breath of fresh air.
Don’t Look at Yourself
Yes, you are on screen for others to see and it can feel like you’re on TV, but that can lead to anxiety about how you look and how people are seeing you. Turn off self-view so you are not self-conscious about what you see. Don’t worry, everyone else on your Zoom meeting is staring at themselves too, not at you.
Take Care of Your Eyes
Eye strain is real and prolonged screen use can cause eye dryness, soreness, headaches, and fatigue. Try the 20-20-20 rule to help keep your eyes fresh. After every 20 minutes of looking at the screen, spend 20 seconds looking at something else that’s 20-feet away.
You can also use the blue-light blocker on your screen or a blue-light filter on your glasses to limit the exposure of that tiring light on your eyes.
Short Meetings
Make sure you have a plan going into your meeting, execute that plan, and end the meeting as soon as possible. Everyone has other things they would rather be doing instead of another Zoom meeting, so keep it brief to make your meetings more focused and worthwhile.
With that in mind, provide a meeting agenda to everyone beforehand so they all know what to expect.
These ideas may sound simple, but they certainly can help to combat Zoom fatigue and keep you fresh for your next round of on-screen meetings. You’ll feel better going into any Zoom meeting with a clear plan for how to end it and what to do between meetings. Try these before Zoom fatigue turns into Zoom exhaustion.
