Strategies For Reducing Video Call Fatigue

Camera fatigue is real...even if you prefer it! I work in a fully remote role, and I genuinely enjoy turning my camera on. It helps me feel connected, adds warmth to conversations, and keeps body language in play. But even with that connection, there are days I feel… drained. Drained to the point where "Happy Hour" turns into a power nap to regain some mental fortitude. It's how I experience "camera fatigue," the mental exhaustion of virtually meeting your team through the day that is unique to this online environment. Why it happens (research-backed): • Constant, intense eye contact feels unnatural and stressful (Stanford, 2021) • Self-view fuels self-critique and distraction • Restricted movement creates mental and physical strain • Fewer nonverbal cues make conversations harder to interpret • Camera-on expectations can reduce engagement over time (PubMed, 2021) How to balance connection and well-being: • Hide your self-view • Use speaker view instead of a grid • Take short breaks between calls (don't forget to move!) • Use static/neutral backgrounds • Give yourself (and others) camera-off moments when needed The goal isn’t to avoid being on camera - this is important for relationship building, especially in remote environment. But, we must be intentional about when and how we use it, so we preserve connection without burning out. For my team, we mix it up. There are times I ask the team for off-cam meetings, where we can feel free to move about the room, home...even walking and talking. This isn't possible all the time, but when it does, it can be just what we need to fuel re-engagement. How do you manage your own camera fatigue? Curious who else has found ways to reinvigorate themselves and their teams!

I take a lot of meetings for work. By 3 PM, I was hyper-caffeinated and crashing. Not anymore ✌️ Here are a few tricks to finish the day with brain‑power (and patience) still intact:  1.  𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟱 𝗼𝗿 𝟱𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀. Outlook & GCal have the toggle. Built‑in buffers = built‑in oxygen.       2.  𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼‑𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮. If it can’t state a purpose in the invite, it probably shouldn’t exist.       3.  𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝟭:𝟯𝟬 - 𝟯 𝗣𝗠 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 “𝗻𝗼‑𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲.” That’s the natural circadian dip - use it for deep work or a walk.       4.  𝗖𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀. More than that and half the Zoom tiles are passengers.       5. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽. After 2 back‑to‑back calls, schedule a 10‑minute outside walk. Movement > more caffeine.       6.  𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 “𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱‑𝘂𝗽” 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. A standing or walking call each hour keeps posture fatigue away.       7.  𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗺/𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Async updates free entire afternoons for real problem‑solving.       8.  𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺. 16 oz every hour - trade for espresso #4.       9.  𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝟯𝟬 𝘀𝗲𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽. Clears mental cache, prevents repetition.      10.  𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲. Delete anything recurrent that hasn’t produced value in 90 days.           𝗣𝗿𝗼‑𝘁𝗶𝗽: I let Sybill capture live notes & action items so I can stay fully present. Fewer keystrokes, zero context‑switching. Your 4 PM self will thank your 9 AM self for protecting its energy. Bookmark this list, test it for a week, and tell me how it feels. Anything you’d add? 👇

Zoom meetings are a big part of how I run my business. Necessary — but seriously exhausting. On some days, I have back-to-back Zoom calls for hours. Hair done. Light makeup. A spritz of perfume (for me). It’s basically my in-office uniform...𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘱. But by the 4th call, I feel it. Tired eyes. Brain fog. Low energy. 𝗭𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹. Here are a few things that have helped me (and might help you too): ✅ 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 → Not everything needs to be 60 minutes. → Try 25 or 45 instead of the usual half hour or hour. → Give people a chance to stand up, stretch, and breathe. ✅ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 (𝗚𝗮𝘀𝗽!) → Remember those? → Some conversations don’t need a screen. → And walking while talking can give your brain a boost. ✅ 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳 = 𝗢𝗸𝗮𝘆 → Set expectations early. → If a camera isn’t necessary, say so. → This can create space for people to recharge. ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 → If possible, schedule meetings in blocks. → Then leave buffer time to grab water, walk around, or just stare at a tree. → It works, trust me. ✅ 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 “𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂” 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 → Ditch the perfection. → Be human. → It's okay if your kid walks in or the dog barks. The goal isn’t to escape meetings altogether. It’s to show up better, with less burnout and more focus. Because when we feel like ourselves, we contribute like ourselves. Which of these tips do you already use — and what would you add to the list? Share this with your #HR friends who are living on #Zoom lately. They’ll thank you. 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲? I want my next post to help YOU. Click the link in my profile, subscribe to my newsletter, and share any HR challenges you’re facing—I’ll cover them in an upcoming post! Stephanie Adams, SPHR #Adamshr #Hrprofessionals #humanresources #hrcommunity #theinsider Adams HR Consulting

Sometimes when I am on the nth video call of the day, I feel the mental fog. heavy eyelids and a struggle to focus... But is virtual meeting fatigue actually real? Turns out, it is Recent neuroscience research confirms that virtual meeting fatigue is a measurable neurological phenomenon. Researchers at MIT attached EEG and ECG devices to measure participants brain and heart activity during meetings. The findings? ➡️ Virtual meetings trigger specific brain activity patterns indicating mental fatigue ➡️ These patterns differ significantly from face-to-face meeting. ➡️ When you can see your own mirror image, brain activity shows greater mental fatigue But with 98% of all meetings now having at least one remote participant, and many of us still attending many hours of virtual meetings daily, we need solutions. So through interviews with 30 professionals from major companies, researchers uncovered strategies that work: Here are three brain friendly meeting strategies for you to try: ➡️ Go audio-only when possible : I now take internal meetings sometimes while standing up or walking. The physical movement offsets mental fatigue and I am more focused without worrying about facial expressions or my background. ➡️ Turn off self-view : This is a game-changer. Constantly seeing yourself is exhausting. Your brain splits attention between the meeting and monitoring how you look. Studies show both men and women feel this equally. To maintain focus, stop constantly checking on yourself during virtual meetings. ➡️ Practice "IT mindfulness: Explore features to adapt platforms to your needs. Play with backgrounds, audience views, and audio settings until you find a setup that feels less draining for you. These suggestions are based on brain science and real experience. What virtual meeting habit will you change this week? Found other strategies that work?

Friends - do you experience Zoom fatigue and wonder how to reduce the 'brain drain'? Interestingly, about 20% of the population are more likely to suffer from . . . . . . almost debilitating side effects from virtual meetings, particularly when the camera is on It's not that you are camera shy You may not have any problem speaking up However, even ONE virtual meeting makes your head feel 'heavy' Chances are you are (a) highly empathetic and maybe even (b) a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Zoom fatigue is more acute for those people who read others easier and experience more empathy - maybe you can even 'feel' what another person is feeling There is nothing wrong with you It is because your brain is processing more information per second than the average person Basically, your brain is getting more of a workout, espcially when your visual system is engaged 👀 Visual processing takes MUCH more energy than hearing > combine this with the fact that you are trying to process more data from that visual image (or images) . . . It can be exhausting!! Here are some top tips to help reduce the Brain Drain of virtual meetings. 1️⃣ Turn your camera off if it's not required for you to be on camera. 2️⃣ Look away from the screen and simply listen. 3️⃣ Pause periodically to 'feel' yourself in your physical space (it helps draw the brain back in). 4️⃣ If it's a long meeting (and you aren't needed constantly) - take a quick break and step away. 5️⃣ Practice deep, intentional breathing to help draw your mind back to your physical body. Whether you are in virtual meetings or busy working away in front of your computer screen >> breaks are critical for your health and your brain!! My client asked me yesterday: "How many breaks do you need to take in an average working day, anyway? I only take a break for lunch and when I go to the bathroom!" I said: "Your brain looses productivity and efficiency between 45 min - 75 min of activity." 💡 Taking 3 Brain Breaks a day is important! They only need to be for about 10 minutes It's important that you NOT look at your phone ... and do something that doesn't require much thought (Take a quick walk, daydream, stretch, meditate, or just breathe) This will keep you feeling more energized and more productive, even during a busy day! Also a bonus, it helps boost your #mindset and enables you to access your #zoneofgenius easier. Keep thriving!! 😊