More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and the business environment has changed. Office spaces have been replaced with home offices and meetings have been replaced with videoconferencing. But for all that technology has done to help us collaborate and communicate, many employees are reporting a side effect of this new landscape.
Whether you use WebEx, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or any similar tool to run online meetings, the process can take a toll on the mental health of your staff. In fact, the issue has become so pervasive that it spawned a new term—Zoom fatigue. But what is it, how is it affecting your staff, and what can you do to help employees overcome it?
What Is Videoconferencing Fatigue (WebEx Fatigue, Zoom Fatigue)?
If you’ve ever logged out of a meeting and felt absolutely drained, you’re not alone. Whether from classroom learning or meetings, videoconferencing fatigue is affecting a healthy number of workers.
Defining Videoconferencing Fatigue
A study from Stanford University published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior found that despite the technology’s usefulness, the interface could have unforeseen psychological consequences. Videoconference Fatigue is defined as the exhaustion you feel after any kind of video call or conference.
The impact of this fatigue is similar to burnout, a common condition that can leave people tired, forgetful, and unmotivated. The bigger problem, according to Healthline, is that this kind of fatigue triggers a positive feedback loop.
“Zoom fatigue has very similar ways of showing up [as burnout], with the primary difference being that it actually contributes to overall burnout. It also tends to be linked to an overuse of virtual meetings.”
Symptoms of Burnout
Healthline author Taneasha White notes that burnout can manifest itself in a variety of ways including forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating, difficulty maintaining relationships and being present with loved ones, and frustration and irritability with co-workers.
But it’s not just mental exhaustion. Mental health is tightly intertwined with physical health, and additional stress from videoconferencing can result in increased injury risk, behavioral changes, and musculoskeletal pain, according to an article from health technology company PeerWell.
Why Does It Happen?
So now that you know what Videoconferencing fatigue is and the symptoms, the next question is “why?” Stanford researchers believe it boils down to four key drivers: Eye contact, increased self-awareness, reduced mobility, and higher cognitive load.
Close-Up Eye Contact
Take a moment to think back to the traditional meeting. People were usually a few feet apart, shifting eye contact from speaker to speaker, taking notes, etc. Now think of a videoconference meeting . Cameras are usually a foot or two away from a person, and each time you look at the screen, you have close eye contact with everyone else. Stanford’s Vignesh Ramachandran explains,
“On Zoom calls, everyone is looking at everyone, all the time. A listener is treated nonverbally like a speaker, so even if you don’t speak once in a meeting, you are still looking at faces staring at you. The amount of eye contact is dramatically increased.”
The irony of the matter is that by distancing, we’ve become uncomfortably close. Ramachandran adds, “When someone’s face is that close to ours in real life, our brains interpret it as an intense situation that is either going to lead to mating or to conflict.”
Cognitive Load
It’s likely that over the course of the past year, you’ve gotten better at reading cues in virtual meetings. But it’s likely that you’ve had to focus in order to read these cues. Unfortunately, increased focus requires more brainpower to consciously read nonverbal cues. Stanford researchers note,
“In face-to-face interaction, nonverbal communication flows naturally, to the point where we are rarely consciously attending to our own gestures and other nonverbal cues. One of the remarkable aspects of early work on nonverbal synchrony is how nonverbal behavior is simultaneously effortless and incredibly complex. On Zoom, nonverbal behavior remains complex, but users need to work harder to send and receive signals.”
This puts increased pressure on the brain, as people are working harder to send and understand these nonverbal cues.
Looking at Yourself All the Time
In a traditional office environment, you’re not paying that much attention to yourself. But imagine someone following you around with a mirror all day. You’d probably start being a bit more self-aware, paying attention to facial expressions, flaws, and behaviors. That’s essentially what happens if you have continuous virtual meetings. This increased awareness of self can trigger stress and cause a worker to direct attention internally.
Reduced Mobility
It’s clear that you’re not moving around when you’re on camera. With a limited view, meetings require you to sit still for the entire time. In a traditional meeting, you’re likely going to walk to the meeting room, looking around, and having the ability to get up and stretch. On a virtual meeting, your head is fixed, you’re sitting in one spot, and you’re stuck.
Stanford researchers compare the experience of a Zoom call to a phone call. On the phone call, a participant has the ability to move around, multitask, and feel untethered. Movement matters, and studies show that gesturing and movement can improve learning retention and reduce stress.
How Managers Can Help Mitigate Virtual Meeting Stress
Managers need to be able to help employees during this tough time, and part of this involves providing support for those experiencing this stress. Here are just some of the ways to make this happen.
- Encourage Occasional Audio-Only Participation: Not every meeting needs to be on video. If you can run a meeting without video, allow people to opt in instead of requiring cameras to be on.
- Reduce Facetime with Strangers: Video calls put you very close to your people. Spending time 18 inches away from your camera puts you in an intimate position, and when running an external call, being this close can put you in an uncomfortable spot.
- Avoid Surprise Meetings: The last thing an employee wants to hear is “Zoom call in 5 minutes.” It adds unnecessary stress to the day. Build meetings into a schedule and make communication a routine.
- Inform Employees of Hiding Self View: Did you know you can hide yourself on video calls? This will help to minimize the self-awareness and stress.
- Share Tips for Low Stress Calls: Recommend ways to make calls run more smoothly and with less stress. Shrinking the screen size can reduce the surrealism of a call, the right lighting and angles can provide flattering looks, and recommend that employees take breaks from videos during long calls.
- Make Social Events Opt In: If you’re running a social session on video, don’t require participation.
- Reduce Onscreen Stimuli: Harvard Business Review notes that “if you’re on a call with five people, you may feel like you’re in five different rooms at once.” This can add stress and overwhelm a person. Encourage people to use plain backgrounds.
Here for You When You Need Us: Acadia Insurance
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Acadia Insurance is pleased to share this material with its customers. Please note, however, that nothing in this document should be construed as legal advice or the provision of professional consulting services. This material is for general informational purposes only, and while reasonable care has been utilized in compiling this information, no warranty or representation is made as to accuracy or completeness.
