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Zoom Fatigue

Ayear ago, no one would understand the concept of zoom fatigue, but it’s all too common these days. Now that working from home is more of a requirement than a perk, many professionals (including myself) are experiencing hours of staring and talking through a computer screen.

Even outside of virtual business meetings, many of us find ourselves FaceTiming, jumping on virtual happy hours, or just bridging Netflix. The pandemic has changed our personal and professional lifestyles. How we connect with friends, do our workout classes, do schoolwork pretty much relies on a phone or computer screen. Inevitably, we will all get drained of all these zoom meetings and virtual calls that take up more time than we’d prefer.

Since we don’t know when think will, or if they will ever, go back to how things were we need to expand the way we use technology in our communication practices. Trust us, you’re not the only one feeling unusually tired and disengaged at work. This strange new feeling is what professionals and students call “zoom exhaust” or “zoom fatigue.”

What is Zoom fatigue, and why do we experience it?

Now, most of you don’t need me explaining what a virtual meeting is. However, for the Google Hangout users reading this, I’ll give you a quick summary of Zoom. Zoom is a video conferencing software that allows professionals, family members, or friends to get together to, well, talk, sell, present, and most importantly, connect. Zoom is a fantastic tool, but if you only have one tool for communicating, you’ll know a thing or two about communication fatigue, meeting fatigue, technology fatigue, or whatever you want to call it.

From nine in the morning to five o’clock at night are eyes are glued to a screen. Most of us are also working from a makeshift home office, so that kitchen chair you’ve been sitting is probably doing a number on your lower back. On top of the body aches, you’re mentally burnt out after hours of sitting and working on your computer.

So now you’re probably wondering, “Well, how do we avoid screen fatigue if we can’t stop using our phones or computers?”

The Pros and Cons of Video Conferencing

So, there’s no escaping the need to do work over a screen, but here are a few pros and cons of using a video conferencing tool. One of the many benefits of a virtual meeting is the ability to see a team member’s face and talk to them in real-time. This is a major pro when trying to resolve complicated issues, brainstorming new ideas, or demoing a product to a prospect.

These virtual interactions are vital for connecting and building new or existing relationships. Video in general has humanized our business communication, and that is something we need to embrace. However, a con of virtual meetings is how draining it is, the amount of time it can take to schedule, and the technical difficulties that happen within the meeting. The side effects of video calling are frustration, disengagement, and hours of time during your workday.

Some tips for virtual meetings that will improve you and your team’s experience are tutorials on how to use virtual meetings, keep the attendee list small, and encourage your team to set objectives.

How to Combat Zoom Fatigue

So, probably the most important question – how do you combat zoom fatigue? The bright side is there are some steps you can take that will help lighten your load during these troubling times. Here are just a few ideas to help overcome screen fatigue.

Get outside
Your mood will seriously get boosted as soon as you walk outside. According to Luminohealth, “When in nature, people may experience a more positive mood and better cognitive function. Memory improves, as does the ability to focus. Some people also experience a boost in creativity.”

Exercise
There’s no need to lace up your tennis shoes and go on a run, although it does tremendously help. You can reap the benefits that exercise has to offer simply by stretching for 10 minutes or going on a walk around your neighborhood. If possible, dial into a meeting using your phone so you have the freedom and flexibility to move around and walk and talk.

Take a break
When your living space doubles as a workspace, it’s hard to find a balance between the two. Do your best not to work through lunch. Even if you don’t prefer taking a longer lunch break, schedule a few 10-minute breaks throughout the day to give your mind a mental rest. Taking any sort of break will improve productivity, motivation, and revive energy levels.

Connect socially
With remote working and zoom calls, we lose those small snippets of small talk that would normally occur in the office. At the beginning or end of your call, participate in some small talk. Small talk helps us feel connected with other individuals. When you feel connected to your team, job satisfaction and team performance improve. When prospects feel connected to you as a sales rep, theirs more trust which leads to more sales.

Consider a Zoom alternative
No one likes a meeting that could have been an email. We’ve talked about the advantages that come with video and some of the best virtual meeting platforms. However, there are other options available that are just as effective, but even more convenient—and no, we’re not talking zoom vs. Google meet. An example of an alternative for Zoom is using a video email platform. You can record a video of your message and email it out to team members, prospects, clients, etc. This way, you reap the benefits that video has to offer, but the recipient can watch your video email on their own time. Better yet, if they need to rewatch or refer back to the video, they have the ability to do so.

Using Alternatives to Zoom

Using a zoom alternative and looking at other video solutions is a great way to cut back on meetings, yet still get that facetime with your audience. As we know, delivering a message through video is the best next option when connecting in person isn’t possible. With video, your recipients can put a face to a name, read your body language and nonverbal cues, and hear your voice. All these factors contribute to building trust and relationships – which are both critical when connecting with team members, prospects, and clients. There are so many benefits of connecting with video, but after 9-months and counting of non-stop zoom calls, it’s exhausting. Luckily, there are better alternatives to Zoom and jumping on a video call – for example, use video email.

Using a video email platform like Covideo, combines the beauty of using video and the convenience of an email. With a video email platform, you would use your computer or phone to record a video message. These are typically one-off videos that are raw and real, and are designed to add a touch of personalization and humanization to your outreach. These video messages replace your plain-text emails, and add personality back into the inbox. Your message remains the same, it’s just being delivered in a different format. These messages are typically short, and can be recorded and sent in just a few minutes. Using a video email platform also makes sending videos a breeze. You won’t need to worry about file size, or normal errors you receive when sending videos. Even better, these videos are embedded in the body of the email which increases engagement and click-through rates. This makes video email a great tool to use in sales for prospecting, follow-ups, saying thank you, and asking for referrals. Or, use video email in customer service to record your screen and walk customers through any issues they are having. With video email, recipients are able to view your message on their own time, and refer back to it when needed. While virtual meeting platforms are great when a live two-way conversation is needed, video email software works for sharing information with a team, introducing yourself, or connecting with prospects.

With video email – you don’t need the second party to agree to a meeting. You don’t need to share schedules or even get a hold of them beforehand. Send them a video email with your message, and be amazed by the results. If you’re looking for a video solution that complements your virtual meeting platforms, Covideo offers a free trial, so you can test it out for free before committing.

Time to Beat Screen Fatigue

If you’re feeling drained from zoom meetings and overly exhausted, video email is a powerful solution with endless capabilities. Since the pandemic hit, we’ve seen a parallel in the rise of remote work and video usage. Video truly is the next best thing when meeting in person isn’t an option.

We could all use something that makes our jobs just a little bit easier, so say goodbye to zoom fatigue and give video email a try. You can start in minutes by signing up for a free trial, you don’t even need a credit card!