There’s a common misconception that professionals who do remote work or hybrid work are less likely to feel the effects of work- and meeting-related exhaustion, but Zoom fatigue is 100% real and running rampant. What can you do about it?
What Causes Zoom Fatigue?
“Something about being on videoconference all day seems particularly exhausting”
Jeremy N. Bailenson, in “Nonverbal Overload: A Theoretical Argument for the Causes of Zoom Fatigue”
Being on camera and communicating on virtual platforms all day has a marked effect on your mental state, productivity, and connection with coworkers. A study from the Department of Communication at Stanford University found that some of the major contributors of Zoom fatigue revolve around the heightened challenge of reading non-verbal social cues and the feeling of always being under a watchful gaze.
Of course, there are so many other factors that cause Zoom fatigue, like:
- Attending meetings without agendas.
- Waiting around on-camera for several minutes as people trickle in.
- Stressing about finding the right link in time.
- Repetitive meetings that never seem to resolve anything.
- Meetings that stretch far beyond the scheduled time due to disorganization.
Ironically, many organizations aren’t all that organized when it comes to the “little” things like meetings. If you’re on the project management side of things, or in any position that requires back-to-back meetings most days, you likely know first-hand how draining it is to show up to each meeting with a plan and see it slowly turn to naught as things get off track.
Make a Change to Your Meetings
The good news is that a lot of these Zoom-fatigue-contributors can be taken out of the equation entirely or greatly reduced with the help of the right tools.
Unless you can rely on a recurring meeting cadence, which is not
Using a meeting workspace tool like Docket can help you reimagine your organization’s definition of “meeting.” With the ability to collaboratively build meeting agendas, everyone will have new clarity about goals, topics, and timelines before they even click the (readily available) link to join. Docket also lets you document decisions and track action items so there’s a straightforward conclusion to each meeting and no more confusion about where things were left off.
Sending out agendas in advance keeps the ball rolling and makes it easier to actually end meetings when they’re supposed to be ended. It also helps everyone involved avoid that anxious feeling that pops up when the floor is passed to you and your mind goes blank—just look at the agenda and your associated notes for a reminder.
You don’t have to put up with exhausting and ineffective meetings anymore, so why are you? Reclaim control over your meetings today so everyone can have a better workday tomorrow.
