4 Tips for tackling video fatigue
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
Prior to 2020, I knew of video conferencing, had used Skype and Face time, but what was this “ Zoom” that everyone was talking about? I saw the memes first, and then a few months later found out later exactly what it was. Pre 2020, it was a rather delicious ice lolly, and a song by Fat Larry’s Band from 1982, that awkward slow dance at the end of a disco! (Be sure to thank me for that ear worm as it follows you through your day)
We have all endured almost 12-18 months on this platform, ( Don’t worry “ Microsoft Teams” I have not forgotten about you! ) so when we have spent hours a day on our screens why does video fatigue really affect us.
Dr Sarhar Yousef, cognitive neuroscientist, asked the question on a recent app, ‘Why are video calls so taxing on the human brain?’ Stanfords Virtual Human Interaction lab, recently released the first ever empirical study on video fatigue , and found that the phenomenon is driven by four main causes.
1. Excessive and unnatural eye contact
When you are talking to someone you want to look at them but because your camera is further up, the eyeline is not quite right. The same thing is happening to them .
So in the background of your meeting, your brain is actually panicking and trying to burn more energy, trying to process the fact that there’s no direct eye contact. In terms of human evolution, your brain interprets this as a possible threat like something is wrong with the interaction.
Whilst there is no real solution with the current technology, one thing that you can do to minimise the brain drain and that is opting for “speaker view” in your settings.This means not looking at a grid with rows of faces, instead focus only on the face that is speaking, one at a time.
2.Constantly staring at yourself
There is an area of the brain called the FFA ( Fusiform Face Area) and it has one job and that is to process human faces and it can’t be turned off. You are biologically inclined to stare at yourself if you can see your own image. Although I have to say i spend half my time wishing I had styled by hair better or found a more flattering top!
One of the easiest things that you can do is just turn off your self view. By doing so you will eliminate the unnecessary energy that it takes your brain to process itself.
3 Lack of mobility
In person meetings, give us the opportunity for a more natural range of motion, ( who doesn’t like to whizz around on a swirly chair, or is that just me!) to engage in conversation or just to get comfortable. But for video calls we’re packed into a square. We are framing ourselves for hours and hours a day and it’s uncomfortable. The moment we see a box, our brains want us to stay in that box, and that’s just not biologically natural.
To combat this, try moving back, away from your keyboard and camera. This will allow you to move a little bit more naturally and shift from left to right like in a normal meeting. Another solution is to take an occasional team meeting ,or phone call or a one -on -one on the go.
4.Interpreting non verbal cues
During video calls your brain is on high alert due to the lack of eye contact. So it starts paying hyper attention to non-verbal cues. Every facial gesture, every small adjustment others are making onscreen, causes your brain to vigilantly pick up on those movements and spend energy doing so, way more than it would during an in-person meeting.
Unless it is a first impression or you’re sharing screens, embrace the phone instead of making everything a video call. So if it’s a meeting you can dial in and put it on speaker while you sit at your desk so that you don’t need to keep processing faces.
Bonus tips
At around the 30 to 40 minutes mark in video meetings there is a huge dip in beta waves that continues to decline as time goes on. Your brain is saying. I have hit my limit. I am exhausted, and I am done focusing.
Dr Yousef says her new lab motto is, “30 is the new 60”. When it comes to meetings try to shorten them. Unless it a collaborative brainstorm or a strategic working session, you need a very good reason to schedule a full 60 min video meeting.
So before setting up your next meeting, ask yourself a few important questions:
What is the purpose of this meeting?
What’s the outcome that I am driving towards?
Who actually needs to be there?
How much time do I really need, if you only need 15 minutes, schedule only a 15 minute meeting.
Take frequent breaks every 30 mins give your brain a rest
An exercise you could try:
Close your eyes for 10 secs with your thumb or fingers, give yourself a light massage around the temples, your jaw line, your head. Closing your eyes for even that short amount of time massively increases what are alpha waves in the brain, which are a marker of restfulness. Your performance and concentration will measurably improve in the following meetings if you take a short rest.
Sometimes it feels like all meetings are mandatory, but you can and should opt out of some meetings that you’re not necessary in. All you need to do is provide a reason and people will be happy with you. According to Dr Yousef, The key is that you just need to say the word ‘ because’ which is all that matters. When it comes to opting out of meetings, the moment a human hears the word “because”, they’ve already decided that they’re not offended and that you’re not attending, and that they assume the benefit of the doubt.
As videos have become more of our working lives, it’s so important that we combat the mental strain they place on our brains. Incorporating some mindful practices in between meetings, and even during them is a great way to move from fatigued to feeling refreshed. I hope that you found this topic as interesting as I did.
If you have any questions regarding this topic, or need some more support with video fatigue, boundaries or work -life balance, I would love to support you, to create sustainable goals for a better future. Please get in touch here.
With love and gratitude,
Siân
