How to Stay Engaged During a Video Conference
The only thing more predictable than the monotony of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic is the persistence of video conferencing. The need to look at the screen has made ” zoom fatigue ” a reality, apparently affecting ordinary office workers as much as the Hollywood icon Al Pacino.
During the Golden Globes on Sunday night, the eighty-year-old looked, shall we say, a little upset as he dialed to be another face on the screen during a semi-remote production. Pacino’s glazed gaze (was he really asleep? ) Had a universal appeal because who didn’t go crazy on a Zoom call?
Unfortunately, most worker bees cannot fall asleep or appear completely uninterested when the public looks at them from the other side of connected devices. For those of us who aren’t Al Pacino, here are some tips on how to stay connected during video conferencing.
Write down
I’m going to preface some of these tips with a caveat or two, because Zoom fatigue is a very real condition that not only makes work more psychologically tiring, but also reinforces the blurry lines between work and everyday life, as every home has become their office.
But if you notice that your mind is wandering during video conferencing, which absolutely needs to be paid undivided attention, try to record the most important details of your meetings. Numerous studies have shown that manual note-taking is an incredibly useful way to synthesize and preserve information. This does not mean that you have to keep detailed records, as a court reporter does, but recording the most important nuts and bolts should help you at least remember the broader conclusion of the meeting.
Close open browser tabs
It’s okay to be distracted by open tabs in the browser, especially if the meeting doesn’t seem necessary. Since you will likely be navigating more interesting tabs during the meeting fiesta, close any pages that are not opening for a specific reason. With your camera on, your coworkers can tell if you’re watching Twitter or watching the highlights of the basketball game last night, rather than staring at the speaker.
I personally collect tabs, so I understand that it is inconvenient to close naughty tabs that no longer provide much value. However, if you cannot control the impulse scrolling prompting, you must do so.
Headphones help you listen
The earbuds will filter out most of the noise that can be distracting during a call. Headphones will make you feel more blocked, especially if you are taking notes. Headphones allow you to more abruptly switch the line into operation, especially if you cannot hear anything that is happening outside of your computer.
Don’t attend irrelevant meetings
Many organizations rely so much on video conferencing that any series of meetings typically affects most aspects of the workday. To this end, ask yourself what you get from meetings that are not necessarily important to your day-to-day responsibilities. If you can reduce the number of meetings you attend regularly, chances are that you will feel a little more energized and be able to listen to meetings you cannot miss.
Say you’re the boss if you’re burned out
Scaling fatigue does not adhere to hierarchical boundaries; Your bosses are probably suffering from this too. If you and other coworkers are single-mindedly worried that you are feeling devastated after a barrage of video conferencing, consider how you might approach your boss about reducing the number of meetings.
If you have a good boss who is sympathetic to the reality of being permanently pinned to the screen, he is likely to readily refuse meetings that are unnecessary. Plus, you can always share valuable information without forcing everyone to join the conversation.