Whether you use it for work, social or family reasons, Zoom and similar tools have exploded in popularity as a result of the pandemic. And why not? Video conferencing tools allow us to keep in touch with people that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to have any facetime with during this pandemic. But too much of a good thing can lead to Zoom fatigue. So what is it exactly, and how do you fight it?

Zoom Fatigue, Explained

Zoom fatigue is a term used to describe that drained feeling you get after being on too many video calls. The damage can be even more severe that than, though; you may even find that you have a harder time focusing on conversations in real life, or have trouble maintaining eye contact with people you talk with face-to-face.

The reason you probably feel more tired after a bunch of video calls than when you have those same conversations in real life is that it takes way more mental energy to process the information coming at you through video. You need to work harder to pick up on visual cues, and if you miss something, it’s not nearly as easy to nudge your colleague beside you and have a sidebar to catch up. You need to be on way more consistently, and that takes effort.

If you’re wondering why you’re having trouble focusing on real-life conversations (this is something I’m actively fighting against), it might have something to do with the way you multi-task when you’re on video calls. It’s so damn easy to just open your browser, or look at emails, or do something else when you’re on a video call, but when you do those things, you’re not listening to the conversation the way you should, or the way you likely would in real life.

So now that we know what Zoom fatigue is and why it happens, what can we do about it?

How to Combat Zoom Fatigue

There are a number of steps you can take to minimize the impact of Zoom fatigue on yourself:

Avoid multitasking. Easier said than done, I know. But if you force yourself to focus on the conversation, you’ll have an easier time processing and remembering what was said.

Take breaks. Building in transition periods between meetings can help break up the day and refresh you a little bit in between meetings. It’s not always easy to do, but forcing yourself to take breaks can go a long way to improving how you feel at the end of your work day

Get outside. There’s just something about getting outdoors that refreshes us like nothing else. Even if it’s a crisp fall day outside, throw your jacket on and go for a stroll. It’ll help clear your mind and keep the gears from spinning out of control.

Don’t feel like you always need the video on. I’ve noticed an interesting trend over the course of the pandemic so far. It started with everyone maintaining their pre-COVID views of video chat – in other words, everyone avoided it like the plague.

Then, when we started to realize that this thing wasn’t going away any time soon, we realized that video was a useful way to keep things feeling personal. But we went too far. We assumed that we needed to be on all the time, which got us to the topic we’re talking about now.

Here’s the thing: you don’t need video for every single chat. It’s ok to turn the camera off sometimes, and get up and walk around while you talk. It’s good for both the mind and the body.

Wrapping it Up

Like most things in life, the key to fighting Zoom fatigue is balance. Limiting your video facetime to those sessions when it really adds value is key, as are taking breaks and giving your mind time to wind down and decompress throughout the day, and not just afterward. With mindful usage and habits, you can keep these virtual tools from becoming more of a hindrance than a help.