If, like a lot of people at the moment, you’re finding yourself sat in front of Teams, Zoom, or Google Hangouts all the time, then you might be experiencing Zoom fatigue. Here’s our advice on how to beat this Zoom fatigue. Basically some top tips on staying sane!
1. Don’t try to multitask
When you’re on a video call, it is very easy to try and do other stuff. Checking our emails, watching TV, doing some work, talking to a friend… It’s all easy to do and it stops us from getting bored on the call.
But by doing this, we are overstretching ourselves, without actually getting everything done. We aren’t paying attention, we aren’t present, but will still feel all the effects of it.
2. Use your breaks
A lot of us tend to use the gaps between calls, or between work hours, to watch TV or sit on our phones. But in reality, that’s not going to help. Our eyes and brains aren’t built for this much screen time, let alone being sat for this long. Stand up and go make a cup of tea, or if you have time, go for a quick walk.
3. Stop being vain
We know that you’re looking fire, but stop staring at yourself. Look at the other people in the call. Looking at yourself on calls can heighten anxiety and negative feelings towards our appearance.
4. Stay hydrated
Water is essential, not just during Zoom calls, but it can really help with Zoom exhaustion. It can help fight off the headaches we get from staring intently at the screen, and it also helps in keeping energy levels high. Plus, if you’re talking a lot in the lecture, water will help keep your throat from going dry!
5. Put your computer and phone away at night
We all know by now that our screens have blue light which is not great at helping our brains sleep, but with the world the way it is at the moment, we often use our phones and laptops to do work when we should be resting. So let yourself turn off, and put them away.
6. Don’t default to video call
If you and some classmates are discussing a project, or your mum wants to catch up – suggest a phone call. Or even a groupchat. It doesn’t always work, but a decent percentage of the video calls we’re having could be emails.
7. Get dressed
One of the things that contribute to Zoom fatigue is that work and home don’t have a boundary anymore. We used to leave campus or the office, and go home. Now home is a campus and the office. But if you get dressed each morning like you were actually going to work, you will not only feel more motivated, but afterwards, you can change to the cosy clothes again, and create a separation between worktime and fun time.
Make sure, if you are struggling with Zoom fatigue, to follow these tips and to look after yourself. We all need to practise extra self-care at the moment.
