Zoom Fatigue Is Real! Stanford Research Reveals Tips to Overcome Exhaustion

The coronavirus pandemic prompted the closing of workplaces and meetings to switch online, generating a new 'Zoom fatigue' epidemic.

According to a recent study titled 'Nonverbal Overload: A Theoretical Argument for the Causes of Zoom Fatigue,' published in the journal Technology, Mind and Action, Zoom fatigue is real. There is increased pressure of sustaining relations at a distance through video chat, and contributing to burnout, tension, and work monotony. Although there are ways you can mitigate the stranglehold that the spirits might have over video conferencing.

A researcher from Stanford University has recently explored this theory to find factors that could lead people to feel tired when they are merely seated in front of a screen.

What is Zoom Fatigue?

It doesn't actually refer to Zoom, and the management of the company will presumably say that the word does a disservice to their marketing activities. The problem extends to all video conferencing systems, according to Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the Stanford Interactive Human Interface Lab.

Generally speaking, when you jump between browser windows for separate online meetings, it explains the exhaustion caused by having to feel permanently turned on. Another study would support Stanford's research, too. Researchers said in 'Association between screen time and depression among US adults' that increased screen time increases your odds of experiencing mild to serious depression, especially when combined with a sedentary lifestyle.

You're currently normally drowning in a full schedule of simulated meetings if you're suffering from this and feeling like you can hardly raise your head above water.

What Induces Zoom Exhaustion?

According to DailyMail, the researcher said that one problem with these applications is excessive amounts of close-up eye contact in the meeting. Everyone watches everyone all the time with these video calls. And when the colleagues are not talking, everyone has several faces looking at them, and the faces can look too close, increasing the stress and subsequent exhaustion.

The decreased mobility that comes with phone calls and the heavy 'cognitive burden' involved with remote interfacing add to the exhaustion associated with 'zooming,' the researcher said in SlashGear.

It is harder to understand nonverbal cues, too. The difficulty in deciphering nonverbal messages further adds to the tension created by video chats. This will result in what Bailenson terms a "cognitive overload," where the mind could be floating in the conversation's supposed subtext.

And the last explanation is that video chats have a far higher cognitive load. Bailenson states that nonverbal contact is very normal in everyday face-to-face contact, and each of us subconsciously allows and interprets motions and nonverbal signals instinctively. But in video calls, to transmit and receive signals, we have to work harder.

How to Battle Zoom Exhaustion?

Luckily, without providing remedies, Bailenson didn't reveal the issues.

For eye contact: The researcher advises that the full-screen environment should not be used. Your rivals will at least look a little bigger this way, so you won't feel as compelled to keep your eyes locked on theirs.

With self-consciousness: For any meeting, it is not always important to have your camera turned on. What is the point of filming yourself if you're not posing something? Bailenson advises changing the settings if you have to keep your camera on because you just see the other party in the conversation instead of making all videos visible to both parties. However, in the meantime, don't forget to turn off your camera.

For mobility: Bailenson advises that you get a separate camera that you can attach to your feed so that you can still walk around, and if you feel so inclined, maybe present from a standing position. Another choice is to switch off your camera and wear Bluetooth headphones again, so you can stroll around your house or flat.

For concern about nonverbal signals: It still works best to switch off your monitor, but the researcher advises listening to the meeting when away from your screen to improve it even more. This way, if you just use audio and feel relaxed attending the meeting when, say, packing away the dishes, you're not going to think about studying all the micro-cues that come up routinely.

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