How to Avoid Zoom Fatigue

“Zoom fatigue” has swept across the working world. Like the name suggests, it’s the exhaustion we feel after a day of virtual meetings. 

Virtual meetings introduce new stressors to our lives. During a normal, in-person meeting, we aren’t staring directly at every participant (or at our own face) throughout the duration of the meeting. Between in person meetings, we usually have a gap in our schedule to reset, grab coffee and clear our heads. Zoom doesn’t afford us those luxuries.

Thankfully, there are tools to fight Zoom fatigue. 

To help you enjoy your new online lifestyle a little more, here are Pivot’s top 10 tips for mitigating the stress of your digital work day. 

1. Go back to basics and use phone calls

   The best way to fight Zoom fatigue is to take Zoom out of the equation when you can. Zoom is great, but it isn’t always the best format. Don’t be afraid to switch back to phone calls when you can. 

2. Try the 20-20-20 rule

   With the dramatic increase in screen time, it’s important to give your eyes a break. Try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something for 20 seconds that is 20 feet away.

3. Switch from gallery view to speaker view

   When you are on a Zoom call, it can be overwhelming to see all participants at once. In speaker view, you will see one person at a time, which more closely resembles an in-person meeting. 

4. Take breaks between meetings (even 5-10 minutes)

   When working virtually, it’s easy to schedule every second of your day. When working at home, you still need breaks to process the information from one meeting and to properly prepare for your next one. Give yourself quick breaks throughout the day so you can stay energized and engaged. 

5. Cast yourself in the best light possible

   When you look good, you feel good (or at least you feel a little better). When you’re on Zoom, sit facing a window so that the light shines on you but not into the lens of your camera. This will give you a soft, natural lighting that looks professional. 

   To catch your most flattering angles, use a stack of books to position your device so that the camera is at, or slightly above, eye-level. 

6. Close your tabs and turn off notifications

   It’s easy to get distracted while on a video call. We’re all guilty of checking our emailing or responding to a text while in a virtual meeting. To help prevent these distractions, put your phone away, avoid multitasking, close unneeded tabs and turn off your phone’s notifications.

7. Have fun with it when you can! Mix up your background.

Zoom allows you to swap out your background as if you had a green screen behind you. Try out some fun new backgrounds, like the ones featured below! 

Quarantine is stressful enough. Use these tips to make the most of your virtual meetings, and help bring some balance back into your day.