In 2020 we experienced a boom in virtual meetings, video calls and remote working due to COVID-19. With this boom came a new phenomenon – commonly known as ‘Zoom fatigue’. If you tend to feel drained after hanging up from a video call, you’re not alone. We discuss the science behind video call fatigue and how you can beat it.
Why are video calls causing us fatigue?
What we found might surprise you! A study conducted by Microsoft’s Human Factors Labs set out to discover if video meetings really do tire us out quicker than face-to-face communication. Study participants wore EEG devices to monitor brainwave activity while collaborating remotely and in-person.
Here’s what the researchers found:
4 tips for a better video call experience
Now that we’ve looked at the science, let’s talk about the best ways to battle video call fatigue! Here are our top four techniques:
1. Stop task switching
Psychologists refer to the act of splitting our concentration across multiple tasks as “partial attention”.2 You may also know this as “task switching,”. Whatever you call it, the act of dividing your attention between different things requires certain parts of your brain to turn off and on, which has been proven to cost up to 40 per cent of your productive time. Researchers have also found that people who switch between tasks can’t remember things as well as those who focus on one thing at a time.3 During meetings, avoid side activities such as answering emails and stay fully engaged.
2. Shorten your calls
To prevent fatigue, the most important tip is to limit use of videoconferencing technology. Where possible, use it in moderation while enjoying the connection and interactivity it can offer.4 For the days you can’t avoid back-to-back video calls, shorten 30-minute meetings to 25 minutes and hour-long meetings to 50 minutes. These little breaks can make a huge difference and allow you recharge, rest your eyes and reset before your next call.
4. Turn off your camera!
Although people are finding a human connection through video in the age of COVID-19, and studies have shown that making eye contact with another human can increase dopamine6 (also known as the happy hormone), there is a caveat. Prolonged eye contact is something our brains can register as threatening and subconsciously interpret as intimidation, flooding our bodies with stress hormones.7 If you’re feeling self-conscious or overstimulated, turn off your camera.
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References:
1 Spataro, J., 2020, ‘The future of work – the good, the challenging & the unknown’, <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/07/08/future-work-good-challenging-unknown/>
2 Sklar, J. 2020, ‘’Zoom fatigue’ is taxing the brain. Here’s why that happens’, <https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2020/04/zoom-fatigue-is-taxing-the-brain-heres-why-that-happens>
3, 5 Fosslien, L., W.D., M., 2020, ‘How to Combat Zoom Fatigue’, <https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-combat-zoom-fatigue>
4, 7 Wiederhold, B.K., 2020.’ Connecting through technology during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Avoiding “Zoom Fatigue”’
6 Spataro, J., 2020, ‘Remote work trend report: meetings’, <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/04/09/remote-work-trend-report-meetings/>