Zoom Fatigue is Real (What To Do About It)

Written by: Online Business Owner • January 31, 2022

Image Source: https://unsplash.com/@magnetme

Zoom got ya down? You’re not alone.

New research in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking not only confirms that Zoom fatigue (being exhausted from video conferencing) is real; but, that it’s worse if you don’t love the way you look.

So what causes Zoom fatigue? There are a few possibilities…

• Eye contact on video is unnatural.

• It’s difficult to send and receive non-verbal cues.

• Needing to stay in frame impedes our natural movements.

This newest study adds another possibility to the list of reasons you may prefer old school phone calls over Zoom meetings these days: “If you don’t like the way your face looks, staring at it on your computer screen for long periods of time is psychologically exhausting,” writes Dr. Renee Engeln for Psychology Today.

This latest research shows that women are most affected by Zoom fatigue due to concerns about their appearance. (And, sadly, you can’t use Zoom’s “Touch Up Appearance” feature in real life yet…maybe it will work in the Metaverse?)

It’s no surprise face lifts are…on the rise (see what we did there).

Why this matters for online business –

Zoom and Google Meet have always been and will probably always be part of our day-to-day life as online business owners. The nature of our work is inherently virtual.

But, here are some tips to help cut down on videoconferencing fatigue:

Go audio only – not every meeting needs to be a video meeting!

Create a safe space for customers, clients, and meeting attendees to join your calls sans video – say something like “You’re welcome to turn your camera on if you like; but, we don’t expect you to!”

On Zoom and want to be on video but not see yourself? Hide your video on your display. (Just remember not to pick your nose…).

Skip the real-time meeting all together and go fully asynchronous! While it may take a bit of a learning curve, platforms like Meetquo and Loom make it easy.

Take your meeting while on a walk using Spot – a meeting platform designed for walking audio-only meetings (not sponsored or affiliated – we just think it’s neat).

Pick up the phone instead of hopping on your computer (you can still use phones to make calls – who knew?!).

If you try out these tips make sure you let us know!

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