ORLANDO, Fla. – Videoconferencing platforms including the popular “Zoom” have taken over the corporate world. While they’ve allowed co-workers to safely communicate during a pandemic, there can be some downsides. Zoom has become a way of life for millions of working Americans. But after months of sitting in front of a screen, many employees are getting tired and bored. It’s a phenomenon dubbed “Zoom fatigue.”
“It’s really bad for our mental health to constantly be plugged in,” said A.J. Marsden, PhD, a Psychologist at Beacon College.
Experts say you can do these five things to try and combat Zoom fatigue:
- Resist the urge to stay in your pajamas all day. In one study, researchers found that dressing more formally for work led to higher levels of abstract, big-picture thinking.
- Schedule ten-minute breaks every hour.
- If you’re sitting for long periods of time, try standing up every 30 minutes.
- To protect your eyes from strain, try the 20-20-20 rule where every 20 minutes, you take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away.
- Make sure you have a comfortable, ergonomic chair.
Improving how you look on zoom may energize you. Experts say to line your camera up to your eye level and invest in a ring zoom light. If you look good, you’ll feel better.