Zoom Boom—or Bust?

Dreading the inevitable chorus of “You’re muted, Jim.” Deciding which corner of your house is least likely to horrify colleagues. Enduring the awkward silence as each meeting attendee tries to gauge who should speak first. (Which invariably ends with them speaking simultaneously.)

If you’re showing symptoms such as these, you may be suffering from a case of Zoom fatigue.

Navigating all the videoconferencing meetings that have replaced in-person gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic can produce its own form of exhaustion, said Laura Scott, director of UMD’s Center for Leadership and Organizational Change (CLOC). Seeing yourself speaking, trying futilely to make eye contact with someone through a screen or the disorientation of seeing your real-life colleagues in just two dimensions can tax the brain, said Scott. 

“What started as a good faith effort to stay in touch and be connected has maybe been overdone in some circumstances,” said Scott.

Zoom has been a hugely popular tool for the University of Maryland community since classes shifted online on March 30. The Division of Information Technology reports that more than 35,000 people have attended a UMD Zoom meeting in a single day. 

CLOC crowdsourced the following ideas on how to manage your use of Zoom or other videoconferencing platforms so you can work productively and healthfully: 

1. Hide self-view in your settings. That gives your brain one less weird thing to try to process.

2. Schedule meetings for 45 minutes rather than one hour. During that 15-minute break, step away from your screen and leave your phone behind. Go outside, if possible. 

3. Make at least one call each day “video-optional” so you can take a walk, pet the cat or fold laundry while listening.

4. Consider alternatives to videoconferencing: a shared document on the drive, circulated link for comments, a brainstorming tool or a quick phone call.

5. Remove virtual meetings from your calendar by sending one person from your group to attend, then having them report back—but not via another Zoom meeting.

6. The intense and narrow focus on one thing so close up can feel like a threat to the brain. Look away from the screen every 10 minutes. Set a timer. Stretch your neck while you’re looking away.

7. Give yourself a break and some self-compassion. Internet wisdom: We are not working from home. We are at home, during a crisis, trying to get some work done.

CLOC offers more tips and resources for working from home during this time at Thrive Through This.