BeDo

The rise of remote working over the course of the pandemic saw us all having to adapt and evolve very quickly, relying on various forms of technology in order to continue getting the job done… and video conferencing platform Zoom really has come into its own over the last 18 months or so.

Even after the pandemic comes to an end, virtual meetings and workshops are likely to continue to be a common occurrence for many of us.

As useful as this technology has been, it has also given rise to something now known as Zoom fatigue, the levels of exhaustion you feel after video calls and conferences. Symptoms of this kind of burnout include frustration and irritability with your colleagues, insomnia, pain, muscle tension, forgetfulness and problems concentrating.

If you suddenly find yourself cancelling or rescheduling your conference calls, or that you feel very tense after an online meeting, it’s possible that you could be suffering from Zoom fatigue. So what can be done that allows you to protect your mental health and wellbeing while still maintaining optimum productivity at work?

First of all, don’t be afraid to take breaks if you need to. If you suddenly feel as though you’re tuning out of the meeting, why not say you need to turn your camera off? This may aid concentration and make it easier to listen to and absorb what’s going on.

Also take a moment to consider whether a Zoom meeting is necessary in the first place. If something can be done over email or on a traditional phone call instead, perhaps suggest this as an alternative.

Engaging in mindfulness techniques can also help you protect your mental and emotional health and wellbeing if you do have a week of nothing but Zooming. Mindfulness helps you to ground you in the present moment and you can do some simple breathing exercises to centre yourself and make yourself feel calmer and more at peace.

If you think you could benefit from holistic wellbeing techniques or wellbeing workshops to help you deal with Zoom fatigue and build an effective self-care strategy for remote work, get in touch with the team here at BeDo to see how we can help you set boundaries and stay present in the face of all those video conferences.