8
7 Comments

Do you have Zoom fatigue?

Back-to-back-to-back meetings can generally be pretty draining, but this seems even more exhausting over Zoom. Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found any coping strategies?

  1. 3

    I've been a remote worker for years. I had zoom fatigue before there was zoom fatigue.

    A few coping strategies

    1. Make sure to schedule non video zooms. Close your eyes. look away from the screen. Make sure the other person is okay with this. It's good for everyone.

    2. DO NOT schedule them back to back. Schedule zooms for 45 minutes. Get off the call ASAP at 45 minutes. Take 5 minutes to wrap up anything you have to send, or email or jot down notes. Take 5 minutes to yourself, get up, walk around. drink water. or piss or both. Be 5 minutes early to your next call.

    3. IF possible, walk. Take a call while you walk for an hour. Tell the person you're on the call with that you're walking so they don't expect you to share your screen or see theirs. No need to be rude. If you have co-workers you regularly meet with. Agree that the first half of the call is walking and the 2nd half is in front of a computer sharing screens if need be.

    4. IF you must fill your schedule. Schedule a call with me. and we won't do anything. You can book a call on your calendar and do nothing for an hour. my email is in my IH profile. IF you must be on a call, we can put it on our calendars and I'll "have technical difficulties". You're off the hook for an hour, or 55 minutes if you must try 5 minutes.

    1. 2

      Spoken like a veteran! Thank you for this :)

    2. 1

      This is great advice!! Thank you!

  2. 2

    Yes! The good thing so is nearly everyone else. Unless there is some specific need for video/screenshare, what I've been doing is asking the other person if they are ok with a phone call when we arrange, and nearly every time they enthusiastically are for it.

    Then as @AndrewKamphey said I always try to walk while on calls and now I actually sort of look forward to them as a bit of exercise. I can get in 10k steps on phone calls alone.

    1. 1

      Hi Matt, thanks for the reply!

      This is super interesting that turning off the video seems to be a common thread in handling Zoom fatigue. It makes sense! When we no longer have to sit stationary in front of the camera, we can be outside, go for walks, exercise, work on a puzzle, etc.

      Screensharing seems like the big reason we might need to stay in front of the screen, but good to note this should be pre-planned if it's needed.

  3. 1

    I would like to share the best remote meeting tips from this post https://www.indiehackers.com/post/how-do-you-do-remote-meetings-with-your-team-b9e1694f34

    1. It's the meeting organizer's responsibility to produce all prep work a day or a few hours in advance, whether its a memo or slides. It's an attendee's responsibility to make sure they go through prep. That way you don't waste time with the information aspect before ideating and decision making. e.g. for decisions, write down all parameters, known pros/cons in a doc beforehand, have the responsible party come up with a few proposals, and fill the rest out together during the meeting.
    2. Consider having a timeboxed agenda. Even if you don't feel ready to move on, within reason, just do it. Repeat a few times and people get good at sticking to their alloted times.
    3. Ideation = diverging ideas and decisions = converging ideas. Consider a break between the two phases so the different ideas can settle in people's heads.
  4. 1

    Hey why do you think you feel this way? Currently creating a video service for my platform to communicate with others so Im intrigued haha Is it the video itself? Like how is it different from having back to back meetings in irl?

Trending on Indie Hackers
How I grew a side project to 100k Unique Visitors in 7 days with 0 audience 47 comments Competing with Product Hunt: a month later 33 comments Why do you hate marketing? 28 comments $15k revenues in <4 months as a solopreneur 14 comments Use Your Product 13 comments How I Launched FrontendEase 13 comments