Virtual Fatigue – How to Recognize and Manage it!
In our current reality, it is almost impossible to imagine our work without video calls or online meetings. Having access to so many options that allow us to communicate online has many advantages, but it can also negatively affect our work and life.
Virtual fatigue refers to the exhaustion you feel after any kind of video call, conference or online meeting. It is also known as Zoom fatigue. Virtual fatigue can affect our productivity, engagement and well-being. It has even been linked to burnout and it is believed to be a contributing factor to it.
The more you know about virtual fatigue, the better prepared you are to understand, recognize and manage it. That is the goal of this article, so keep reading!
Why does Virtual Fatigue occur
More and more people are reporting feeling tired, exhausted or drained during or after online meetings. Even if we are aware of it or not, it takes more effort and resources to have online meetings as compared to real-life ones. There is a vast array of factors that contribute to virtual fatigue.
Your body has to work harder as it experiences constricted freedom of movement and reduced mobility. Your brain has to work harder and invest more conscious effort to focus and adapt to the increased cognitive load and limited visual breaks.
We also need to operate with a lack of nonverbal cues and invest more resources to understand other people’s body language and facial expressions. And, the increased frequency and duration of online meetings have been associated with a higher level of fatigue.
How to recognize Virtual Fatigue
There are 5 dimensions of fatigue that have been identified: emotional, motivational, social, visual and general. In order to be able to recognize virtual fatigue, you can find below some of the most common signs and manifestations.
Feeling emotionally or mentally drained after video calls
Tension or irritability after online meetings
Feeling more tired at the end of the workday than usual
Needing time alone after online meetings
Feeling too tired to do other things after calls
Low participation in video calls
Avoiding, canceling or rescheduling video calls
Experiencing blurred vision after video conferences
Eye strain or eye irritation that is not pre-existing
Impaired ability to handle work responsibilities
If you are interested in an in-depth evaluation the signs related to virtual fatigue, you can explore the Zoom Exhaustion & Fatigue Scale created by Stanford University.
How to manage Virtual Fatigue – 4 Strategies to help
1. Be mindful of the signs
Are you checking in with yourself?
After understanding the signs that can indicate virtual fatigue, it is important to increase your awareness of them and be mindful of when they appear in your life.
Make a list with the potential signs and have it available, so you remember what to look for.
More importantly, get into the habit of checking in with yourself to see how you are doing and observe changes as soon as they occur. As a result, you will be able to support yourself and contain the negative effects of virtual fatigue.
2. Optimize your scheduling
When it comes to your schedule, what do you have control over?
Figure out what works best for you.
Depending on how much control you have over your scheduling, try to define what type of daily and weekly plan brings you the most benefits and helps you protect your well-being.
Maybe a useful option would be to stack all your online meetings at the beginning of the week. Or maybe it would be better for you to spread them throughout the week and not overload any specific day. You could create boundaries where your work calendar is unavailable for meetings until after 11 a.m. Also, check to see if any of your meetings could be moved to phone or even email.
It can also be challenging to jump from one meeting directly into another, sp try to leave breaks between appointments so you have a few minutes to disconnect or even take a short walk.
3. Improve your environment
Is your workspace supporting you?
In order to create an environment that supports your work and helps you prevent or manage potential fatigue, you first need to look at potential factors that might be affecting your work context.
You might not have a high degree of control in regard to your schedule and the number of meetings you have to attend, but you might be able to address many of the elements that are not helping you in your environment.
Do you have enough privacy?
Are distractions getting in your way? How are they affecting you?
What is your comfort level working in this space?
What other factors do you need to notice and manage?
Think about all the improvements your workspace might need and make a list with them. As you start to tackle each one, begin slow and small and prioritize the most achievable changes.
For example, it might be easier to get a new water bottle or a new notebook, compared to having a potentially difficult conversation with your roommate about the noise level in the apartment.
As you move through your list, you will most likely free up some energy and resources and increase your confidence to continue with the process of workspace improvement.
4. Take care of your physical and emotional needs
Are you conserving your energy?
It is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid fatigue when our batteries are running on low. Take a moment to check in with yourself and observe how you are able to cover your bases. You can later transform the valuable information that you collect into improvement and action points.
Be open and honest with yourself as you investigate important areas of your life.
Are you sleeping enough?
Are you eating as you should?
Are you moving sufficiently to help your body and brain?
Are you allowing yourself to take breaks, rest, pause, regroup?
Are you putting boundaries in place where you need to?
Are you paying attention to your emotions and your needs?
How can you make improvements in these relevant areas?
If you are interested in even more strategies to help you protect your energy, you can find them here: How to feel more energetic.
Virtual Fatigue Workshop
Virtual fatigue can have an impact not only on an individual level but also on a team and company level. In the workplace, virtual fatigue can affect a team’s well-being and lead to decreased engagement, negative attitudes towards meetings and work, poor team dynamics, difficulties in communication and burnout.
Companies can reduce the negative effects of Virtual Fatigue by providing their employees with tools and strategies to understand and manage it. If you are interested in bringing a workshop on this important topic to your team or company, get in touch.
30-Min. Free Online Exploration Session
If you are experiencing the negative effects of virtual fatigue on your work and life and you want to find personalized strategies that can help you manage it, get in touch. We can schedule a 30 min. free online exploration session to discuss your needs and goals and find ways to personalize this process so you can get the most out of it.