Videoconferencing fatigue is a very real phenomenon that’s taking a toll on the vast majority of at-home employees who may be craving the return of real in-person interactions with their coworkers. If this is something you can relate to, keep reading to learn about how you can counteract the effects of videoconferencing fatigue, so that you can be more productive while working from home during the lockdown.
One solution is to consider virtual conference room rentals in Mississauga that give you access to a variety of business resources and allow you to delegate more tasks to a support team.
What Causes Videoconferencing Fatigue?
Videoconferencing fatigue is that feeling of dread and exhaustion when you know you have a busy day ahead of you filled with back-to-back virtual calls and meetings.
Although you may have the privilege of being able to work from home during the pandemic, interacting with your colleagues and clients strictly through a screen can become cumbersome over time.
Many people miss the nuances of face-to-face interactions such as body language and facial expressions that can often get lost in translation during video conferencing meetings. Then, there are the symptoms of videoconferencing fatigue that can also take a toll on you:
- Physical discomfort such as back pain, headaches, aching limbs, and stomach aches caused by stress and lack of movement.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Increased irritability and impatience from feeling mentally drained.
Studies have shown that symptoms of videoconferencing fatigue can actually lower productivity, performance levels, and the quality of work employees produce while increasing the chances of making mistakes.
Here are a few reasons why you may feel videoconferencing fatigue.
You’re Constantly Multitasking
Multitasking is a great skill that can help you get things done more efficiently, but it can quickly become overwhelming when you’re trying to do too much all at once. Try to avoid taking care of personal tasks during your dedicated work hours, so that you can concentrate on getting your work done. Business hours should be reserved strictly for business-related tasks.
When you rent virtual office space in Mississauga, you can delegate more tasks to a dedicated personal assistant or administrative team rather than doing everything yourself.
You Use the Same Videoconferencing Platform for Business and Pleasure
It may seem more convenient to just download one videoconferencing platform and use it for both personal and business communications, but this is actually a bad idea. It blurs the lines between your work and leisure time.
For your own sanity, it’s important to make a clear distinction between work and play, so that you don’t constantly feel like you’re at work when you’re not. It’s bad enough that your personal space is now doubling as your workspace. If you can, try using different platforms for social and business calls.
You’re Sitting in the Same Position All Day
Yes, you have a lot of work to do and that can make it difficult to get up and move around throughout the day, especially if you have back-to-back meetings scheduled. But you’re only human and need to take brief breaks to maintain your sanity and overall health.
Sitting in the exact same position all day can negatively impact your mental and physical health, making it impossible for you to do your job well.
Give yourself a mini break in between videoconference calls, even if it is just a brief breather. This will help you feel more refreshed and prepared to take on the next task.
Tired Eyes
Tired eyes are a symptom of staring at a computer or cellphone screen nonstop all day long. After several hours, your eyes can start to water and simultaneously feel dry and itchy. Visible symptoms of tired eyes include puffiness, redness, and dark under-eye circles. Tired eyes are physically uncomfortable and can also increase your overall feeling of fatigue.
No Time to Transition between Meetings and Tasks
Transition time between meetings and tasks at work is crucial. It gives your brain a mini break before moving onto the next project, meeting, or task. Transition time is your downtime and can include coffee breaks, walking over to a different department, grabbing lunch or a quick snack, chatting with your coworkers, and even your commute to and from work.
These are all little things that we used to take for granted in the past but are sorely missed when working from home.
How to Overcome Videoconferencing Fatigue
Here are some helpful tips for overcoming videoconferencing fatigue while working from home.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a form of meditation that you can do pretty much anywhere and anytime. Even when you’re sitting at your desk, you can—and should—take a moment to meditate. Mindful meditation helps relieve stress, resets your brain, and gives you excellent mental clarity to carry on with your day.
Focus on One Task at a Time
This may seem counterproductive when you’re on a tight schedule, but it’s better to focus on completing one task at a time and making sure it’s done right rather than trying to multitask and getting overwhelmed. Multitasking isn’t a long-term sustainable work method. Eventually, taking on more than you can handle will lead to burnout and that’s not good for anyone.
Plan Your Meetings Out Well
To help you stay focused and on top of things, it’s important to plan your meetings out well. Set meeting reminders, limit the number of meetings per day, take short breaks in between calls to gather your thoughts, and put a time limit on meetings. Meetings that run longer than necessary take away valuable time that could be spent completing other tasks and this can put you behind, which increases stress levels. Try to keep your meetings short and to the point while making room for minimal small talk at the beginning and end.
Rent Virtual Office Space in Mississauga
Innovative Professional Offices is committed to helping you better adjust to working from home. We offer high-quality and reliable videoconferencing, virtual meeting space rental, and virtual office services in Mississauga that accommodate the unique needs of your business. Contact us today to learn more and get a free quote.
