Zoom fatigue and how to overcome it

Working from home can be great. It allows for more flexibility with your time, saved time on commuting and hopefully some breaks when needed. But it can also mean that we no longer stick to our working hours and the work day can tend to blur into personal time, whilst more virtual meetings and phone calls becomes the new normality.

Feeling tired and stressed from all this?

That’s Zoom fatigue. Whilst we are aware that breaks away from the laptop are good for us, it can also make us feel guilty. Not appearing online and the ability to manage one’s own time can become crippling rather than freeing. Whilst video conferencing is helpful to establish better relationships with clients and colleagues as well as feeling connected to one’s team – it is not always necessary.

Here are our top tips that we have picked up during the past two years that might just help you feel better:

First up; does the conversation really need to be a meeting?

To not fill your own, and other people’s workday with meetings; take a minute and think if the information needed can be extracted from a few emails or chat messages instead. Or a quick phone call without the added stress of video.

Has everyone had their break?

Try opting for 10 to 20 minutes between meetings to allow yourself and others to make a cup of tea and prepare themselves. Going from one meeting into another does not allow you to fully digest what you just heard and it will be more difficult keeping meetings and information apart.

No more screen time

We might feel as though we are relaxing if we have a few moment to check social media or message a friend – but time away from the screen can be really helpful to feel less tired and prevent dry eyes and headaches. If you are in a meeting where video is not required – try focusing on listening instead and takes notes using pen and paper.

Stay focused

Multitasking is actually not that efficient. It takes practise to be able to stay in the moment when you can reply to emails with just a click; but being mentally and fully present in a meeting will help you process the information better – and if you are on video it’s also important to look engaged!

Keep it interesting!

Click here to read our tips on how to create meaningful conversations virtually

More information

Hybrid working is here to stay, and with good practice we won’t have to suffer from Zoom fatigue. Click here if you would like more information about hybrid workspaces and how we can help create the best solution for you.