Here’s why you’re feeling drained after a Zoom meeting
We feel you. Even before the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, back in time where we can still go to office, we hate unnecessary meetings. Especially when points being discussed can be handled through an email. You don’t have to feel bad if you secretly roll your eyes whenever your boss sends another Meeting ID for a Zoom meeting because you are definitely not alone in this sentiment — I mean, we understand you (at some point). But as an employee, we should understand our responsibility to update and monitor each other, including your superiors.
Video conferences have been the most used means of communication of companies working from home during this pandemic. It has helped in staying connected with each other and being up to date with the employees’ tasks and output.
What is ‘Zoom fatigue’?
Apparently, there are people experiencing exhaustion after a series of hours-long video chats. BBC Worklife turned to Gianpiero Petriglieri, an associate professor at Insead, who explores sustainable learning and development in the workplace, and Marissa Shuffler, an associate professor at Clemson University, who studies workplace wellbeing and teamwork effectiveness, to assess whether or not there are more advantages than otherwise.
After hearing their views, they learned that employees feel more pressure in doing meeting like this than the actual. Given that they need to make an effort to look presentable themselves, but also assuring that their setting is nice as well. Plus, being in this country with poor internet connection, the worry of not being to deliver your piece is ever present too.
An added factor, according to Shuffler, is that if we are physically on camera. We are very aware of being watched. Hence the feeling of exposure that a certain type of people hate, “When you’re on a video conference, you know everybody’s looking at you; you are on stage, so there comes the social pressure and feeling like you need to perform. Being performative is nerve-wracking and more stressful.”
Who wants others to see the mess that we are, right?
Furthermore, regardless of our behaviors, there is this underlying sense of longing to how things used to be. We get it, we’re all exhausted; it doesn’t matter whether we are dealing with introverts or extroverts. We are experiencing the same disruption of the familiar context during the pandemic.
And an abundance of this virtual meetings make a painful reminder of the situation.
To avoid the ‘Zoom fatigue,’ BBC advised in some cases to reevaluate its worth as the most efficient option. When it comes to work, Shuffler suggests shared files with clear notes can be a better option that avoids information overload. She also suggests taking time during meetings to catch up before diving into business.
