Why Zoom Fatigue Occurs and How Educators Can Overcome it

You might find yourself in endless and long-winded zoom meetings one after another. Then you would feel severely drained without much energy even though the day has not yet ended. This phenomenon is known as ‘Zoom Fatigue’. The pandemic’s start introduces people to video conferences as a daily routine. Many would feel uncomfortable with the sudden change. The move from looking at people directly to a full screen for 8 hours is a drastic change in our daily lives.

As your energy plummets, you can feel you no longer need to go out with friends because you need more time with yourself. But you would still feel irritable even when you relax in bed and find the most comfortable position. Showing the tendency to be annoyed or angry is a normal thing everyone has, but if you feel it too much, especially after a meeting which is every day, then you need a solution for it. School Management Software can meet the unique needs of schools and teachers for a more conducive way of learning. 

What is Zoom Fatigue?

There might be some confusion when you hear the term ‘zoom fatigue’. The similarity between burnout and zoom fatigue may be one reason. The fatigue you feel every time you finish a full day’s work is known as burnout. But what’s the difference between burnout and zoom fatigue? Zoom fatigue is a collection of physical and psychological consequences that arise from communicating for long periods of time via Zoom or other video platforms. The outcomes may vary, but it affects a person’s health, well-being and work performance. 

Also read: 3 Benefits of School Asset Tracking Software

Why are Virtual Meetings Tiring?

Platforms for video conferences are beneficial to us in the pandemic situation. It has many wonderful qualities and advantages, but it also has some disadvantages. You must first notice how much eye contact you make during a virtual meeting. In a face-to-face meeting, you wouldn’t need that much eye contact because there are other things to look at around the speaker, like the room interior, the notebooks, or the windows with a lovely view. But in a zoom meeting, everyone is constantly staring at one another on the screen, and their faces are also in close proximity to one another. Our brain might interpret the circumstance as being intense. The feeling of constant surveillance is a significant contributor to Zoom fatigue.

We also have limited mobility, which makes it difficult for us to move our bodies. People can walk around freely during face-to-face meetings without losing track of the topic. Additionally, we may communicate more nonverbally when conversing. But in a video meeting, none of it could be accomplished. Most of the time, we must remain immobile to fit within the confines of our screens. For the person on the other end of the line to understand us, we must also accentuate our facial expressions or speak louder and clearer. These tasks need more work and could exhaust us more than usual.

Also read: 5 Techniques to Build an Effective Teacher Professional Development Plan

Recognize Zoom Meeting Fatigue

Even after a few months of the pandemic, things are still not developing as many would like. The reality is that educators continue to teach and communicate with their students, parents and colleagues via video conferencing tools. Either on a full-time basis or as part of a hybrid arrangement. Therefore, it should be no surprise that ‘Zoom fatigue’ has been and will continue to be a significant problem for many teachers. Fatigue is not a matter of tired eyes, a stiff neck, or a sore lower back. After taking these calls for an extended time, we may feel exhausted.

Something is off during a video call, and our subconscious mind picks up on it. Despite what we may believe, the conversation is not occurring in real-time. Even with a high-speed internet connection, there may be a millisecond delay, which causes the brain to start searching for solutions to the discord. From this point on, the brain begins to weary, leaving us feeling worn out, agitated, and worried.

On the other hand, instructors, like teachers, adore in-person interactions. Because they see their students’ reactions in real-time and pick up on a variety of tiny clues, such as microexpressions and body language, that are more pronounced in a classroom context. That’s why you must acknowledge that zoom fatigue exists. After that, you can start finding solutions that can help you fight this challenge. 

Zoom Fatigue Solutions

Even though zoom fatigue appears to be exhausting and challenging to avoid. In reality, there are quite a few approaches to cutting it down, which are broken down into the following categories below:

Avoid multitasking when you can

During a video conference, it may be tempting to multitask.  Although the idea of completing several tasks at once seems to increase productivity, you might not be as adept at multitasking as you believe. Multitasking makes simple tasks feel more demanding and tiring. One of the primary contributing elements is simultaneously using multiple forms of media. Even if you want to do more than one thing at once, one of the best tips for online learning is paying attention to the task. 

Hide self-view

You may not realize it yet, but using Zoom regularly can create interesting habits like constantly staring at yourself on the screen. Knowing that your video is being broadcast to others can make you more conscious of being watched, making it difficult to concentrate. While it’s crucial to maintain a professional appearance, there’s no need to go overboard. Knowing that we can be seen on Zoom can make us assume that everyone is watching every move we make. This can create a sense of self-consciousness.  The good news is that this is not entirely true. There’s a chance that other participants have the same perspective about themselves. To help reduce your anxiety, turn off your self-view. You’ll find it easier to focus on your work.

Try to attend group meetings in quiet spaces

In video conferences, every sound is always amplified. Other participants in the same conference could even hear the sounds of key tapping or noisy chairs. Those unsettling noises can cause a stress response in the body. Since so many of us use headphones to improve sound during meetings. That implies that even the slightest noises are magnified more. Find a quiet location to hold meetings, and kindly urge others to do the same. Everyone can focus better and get things done more quickly in this relaxed environment.

Schedule Breaks

Your body needs a break, especially if you’ve been doing endless Zoom meetings for a whole day. Your body and mind need to take a break from long Zoom sessions. For short periods, turn off your camera so you can stand up and move around. Examine objects further away and closer to you to strengthen your eyes. If possible, schedule breaks of at least 10 minutes between consecutive sessions. 

How Zoom Fatigue Impacts Communication with Students

Teachers must use fewer nonverbal clues and microexpressions due to the nature of video conferences. The teachers may feel uneasy while carrying out the teaching and learning activities. While many people can opt out of video conferences and continue with email or texting, most teachers don’t give their pupils a choice while in a session. Therefore, taking breaks is crucial between the lengthy Zoom meetings.

Conclusion

Being tired during a busy workday is normal and so is ‘Zoom fatigue’. You just need to recognize how it can affect your life and learn how to overcome it. Therefore, we mention a few solutions that you can try to reduce the impact of ‘Zoom fatigue’. It is difficult as an educator trying to communicate smoothly with your students in a video conference. But you can try using the School Management System to make sure the learning process runs efficiently and student evaluations are always accurate.

As a teacher, being preoccupied with so much data can interfere with your performance. But the School Management System can simplify your complex work so you can focus on creating a healthy environment for your students. Now you can try the software demo for free by filling out the form on our website.