Common signs you have Zoom fatigue (and how to combat it)

It’s been over 2 years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in that time, Zoom has dramatically changed the way people work from home in a range of industries. Perhaps before March 2020, videoconferencing was a rarity in your job, or you might have been communicating with colleagues and clients this way for a while.

However, one thing’s for sure: Zoom - and other videoconferencing tools like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Skype or WebEx - have never been used as much as they have in recent years.

In fact, by April 2020, there were 300 million daily users of Zoom compared to just 10 million in December 2019 (source).

For many businesses, apps like Zoom and Teams have been a lifeline. For others, the feeling of “Zoom fatigue” or “cybersickness” has been slowly creeping in, as their businesses have heavily adopted videoconferencing apps into their working processes.

What is Zoom fatigue?

Jena Lee, MD of the Psychiatric Times defines Zoom fatigue as the “tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with overusing virtual platforms of communication” (source). Many users of Zoom - and other video conferencing apps - say that Zoom fatigue is real, having described the feeling of Zoom fatigue in similar terms since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

What causes Zoom fatigue?

Why does Zoom fatigue happen? Researchers at Stanford University have outlined some common causes of the phenomenon that is Zoom fatigue:

• When communicating via video chat rather than face-to-face, it takes longer for us to process non-verbal gestures. We often also end up overcompensating for this with lots of over-exaggerated movements like nodding, shaking our heads, waving and thumbs up.

• Despite the over-exaggerated movements, our movement feels limited when on a video chat. For example, in real life, you might be inclined to walk around during a conversation, but you can’t do that in quite the same way when chatting on Zoom, so you can feel unnaturally restricted.

• Having lots of faces appearing to stare at you constantly is intense - and it can even feel intimidating, especially when you’re not actively talking. As humans trained predominantly in face-to-face conversations, this can feel really uncomfortable.

• Likewise, having to see your own face a lot isn’t much fun either and can make us feel critical of our appearance. It’s like walking around with a mirror all the time.

(source)

What are the symptoms of Zoom fatigue?

Symptoms of Zoom fatigue or cybersickness can vary, but if you notice any of the following in yourself, or in your colleagues, then it’s worth taking a look at what you can do to improve your situation,

• Feeling burnt out after a day working from home

• Feeling extra self-conscious about your appearance

• Anxiety when joining calls

• Wanting to constantly cancel or reschedule calls

• Physical feelings of sickness, muscle pain or insomnia

• Difficulty concentrating at work

Tips to combat Zoom fatigue:

Luckily, there are some things you can do to help you deal with the feelings of Zoom fatigue, such as:

1. Click the “hide self-view” button so you don’t see your own video on calls (source)

2. Do fun things on Zoom - or other video conferencing apps - like talk to family and friends to help you associate the app with positive interactions (source)

3. Reduce the size of the video chat application on your computer screen so it’s not on full-screen mode (source)

4. Try an audio-only call, or having a portion of the chat in audio-only mode, to give you and others a break from recognising and registering visual cues (source)

5. Could you have a phone call instead? Assess the situation beforehand to decide whether your upcoming meeting could happen in a different way (source)

6. Take short breaks if you can, especially during long calls (source)

7. Try some mindfulness practices before your meeting, like breathing exercises (including essential oils) or moisturising your hands (source)

8. Create distance from yourself and the screen or camera where possible by using an external keyboard and mouse (source)

Zoom’s vital statistics

How many users downloaded Zoom at the start of the pandemic?

In February 2020, there were just under 5 million downloads of the Zoom app (on iOS and Android) globally. By March 2020, this had surged to 26.9 million downloads, according to Prioriti Data (source).

What were the leading videoconferencing platforms used in 2020?

1. Zoom - 50.3% of respondents

2. Microsoft Teams - 12% of respondents

3. Facebook Live - 9.4% of respondents

4. Instagram Live - 7.3% of respondents

5. GoToWebinar - 5.8% of respondents

6. YouTube Live - 5.2% of respondents

7. On24 - 4.7% of respondents

8. WebEx - 1% of respondents

At the onset of the pandemic, Zoom was by far the most used videoconferencing platform compared to similar counterparts, like Teams and WebEx (source).

Read more WFH tips:

• What’s the best professional ring light?

• What’s the best way of making coffee?

• Choosing the right automatic coffee machine

• 18 free printables to help you get organised

• Key tax dates 2022/23

• The best office chair to buy for working from home

---

More work from home advice…