How to Tackle Video Conferencing Fatigue
During the first two months of the pandemic, there was a 500% increase in the video conferencing market. With many of us shifting to remote work, that’s no surprise.
Even after the pandemic, Global Workplace Analytics projects that 25-30% of the workforce in the United States will work from home at least one day a week.
Remote work means video conferencing is here to stay.
According to Earth Web, 77 % of workers think they are more productive working from home. That may be true but back-to-back video meetings can be exhausting. Sure, you can keep your slippers on, but that doesn’t mean it’s relaxing. Video conferencing can be a big pot of awkward indirect eye contact, time lag, and screen freeze. Stir in the distraction of children, pets, and your spouse’s conference in the next room, and you’ve got a very stressful stew.
So, how can you tackle video conferencing fatigue? Here are 5 tips:
1. Don’t use full-screen mode.
Steady close-up eye contact is straining. Reduce that window size. Consider using an external keyboard to add space between you and the screen.
2. Turn your camera off.
Unless you’re a famous actor, seeing your face blown up on a screen can be stressful. If turning off your camera isn’t an option, look for a “hide self-view” feature in your video conferencing software.
3. Utilize breaks.
It’s taxing to consciously limit your movement to stay in the frame. If you can go off-camera, take that opportunity to move around. Responsible for setting up meetings? Try to make them shorter and less frequent.
4. Look at your tech.
Educate yourself with the technology needed to put your best face forward. Using the right video and audio setup can help to limit distractions and relieve some of the awkwardness.
5. Concentrate on the meeting.
Our brains rely on non-verbal cues to assess our environment. Most of that is missing from a video meeting. It’s harder for us to process what’s going on. Save emails, texts, and other activities for after the meeting.
The good news?
Video conferencing isn’t all bad. It cuts down on work travel and business costs. It can even help you to create a better work/life balance if used smartly.
Resources
Sadler, Mandi. (2021, July 1) 84 Video Conferencing Statistics for the 2021 Market. TrustRadius.com
Wise, Jason. (2022, February 3) Remote Work Statistics 2022: How Many People Work From Home During Covid? EarthWeb.com
Work-at-Home After Covid-19 – Our Forecast. GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com
Ramachandran, Vignesh. (2021, February 23) Stanford researchers identify four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and simple fixes. News.Stanford.edu
Lazar, Irwin. (2021, June 30) How to combat virtual meeting fatigue in 5 steps. TechTarget.com
