29 Jun How to overcome Zoom Fatigue.
A frozen screen, a barking dog, kids screaming, heavy breathing…. sound familiar?
Since the beginning of the Covid_19 pandemic, we have been dependant on video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Hangouts, Skype to help stay connected on a business and personal level. However, too much of anything comes with drawbacks.
Over the past few weeks “Zoom fatigue” has become a major challenge, which refers to the mental exhaustion with online video conferencing.
For many of us, we will be glad not to do another online quiz….
Virtual meetings have proven to be more difficult as they require a lot more focus and attention than in-person meetings, but they don’t have to be. Both virtual and in-person meetings come with challenges – but one commonality is how to ensure your meetings don’t suck….
The ‘new norm’ includes virtual meetings for the foreseeable future, so it’s important to overcome the fatigue.
Here are our top 5 tips on how to reduce it:
A clear agenda and objectives:
Don’t have long pointless meetings – there is nothing worse than being in a meeting where there is no structure. Ask yourself what you want to achieve and create an agenda to suit your objectives/goals. Don’t forget to ask your attendees what they would like to get from the meeting, involving them early will increase interest.
Check the attendee list:
Do you really need all the attendees at the meeting? It can be tricky to decide who you should invite and who you should leave off. Be selective, and if you are unsure who to invite, reach out directly beforehand and ask them if they would like to attend or if they would just like to be informed about the meeting outcome
Don’t forget about other devices:
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the virtual meeting bubble… but we need to remember that not all meetings have to be done via video. We often forget about picking up the phone or sending an email to update others. If the call doesn’t require video – highlight this with attendee/s ahead of time and just catch up over the phone.
Ensure breaks:
Too much screen time isn’t healthy for anyone. You need to ensure you are taking sufficient breaks in between calls – some people prefer to finish calls 10 minutes ahead of another to process and get in the right headspace. It’s important to disconnect when you need to and to try to schedule a balanced amount of virtual calls daily/weekly to avoid overloading.
Limit distractions:
Limit noise and other distractions. In some cases, kids, pets, notifications, etc. have all contributed to distractions. Ensure you mute or turn the video off appropriately. It’s critical to keep meetings engaging to avoid attendees from starting to daydream or drifting into emails and the dreaded typing.
Zoom fatigue is a real thing and it’s about trying to stay sane and manage virtual meetings as best as we can while remote working continues.
