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Or maybe you've just watched some of your workers decrease their productivity and express burnout.

The reason may be in a very new condition called Virtual Fatigue or Zoom Fatigue. Know what it is, what its causes are and how to combat it.

What is Virtual Fatigue or Zoom Fatigue?

It is a mental and physical state caused by high exposure to virtual environments, whether for personal, work or academic reasons.

The name Zoom is just a meaning that has become general due to the increase in the use of this tool in the last year, as a support to such contexts.

The cause is in the continued use of tools and digital screens in general, not only as a consequence of the use of said application. although videoconferences have been the most studied in the last year.

The most common symptoms are overwhelm, headaches, eye discomfort, annoyance, difficulty concentrating, anxiety and even depression, although there are many more.

The truth is that this lifestyle is here to stay, but it considerably affects the state of people and their productivity. Som estudies reveal that women experience an average of 13.8% more fatigue from Zoom than men.

But let's see in general terms what the causes are.

Main Causes of Zoom Fatigue or Virtual Fatigue

According to a Stanford University study, video chat platforms have designs that exhaust the human mind and body. And this is not all, because the fact that there are many people connected at the same time, produces a higher level of exhaustion.

There are factors that are mainly responsible for raising the level of physical and mental exhaustion when using virtual applications, and these are:

1.- Intense Eye Contact

When a person participates in a typical meeting, it is normal for them to observe exclusively who spoke at that moment and then they can alternate writing some notes while continuing to listen.

However, thanks to the design of video conferencing applications, everyone looks at everyone, from start to finish. This makes eye contact exaggerated with respect to the amount we are all used to.

But also, because you have the screen permanently active, even if you don't have the word, you can suffer from stage fright anxiety.

And if you add that you connect with teams that have screens where faces are larger, it will provide you with an increase in stress levels.

This is because these simulate that the person is physically closer, so it would mean an invasion of that personal or intimate space that is commonly used for mating purposes or for conflict.

The discomfort can be high when it comes to co-workers, and it can be even greater when these video conferences are held with clients and strangers. And if the exposure lasts for hours, the exhaustion will increase.

2.- Seeing Yourself for a Long Time

During a conversation or meeting, it is normal to see other people's faces. But, in a video conference a box is shown in which you can see your movements while you participate or speak.

For some people, looking in the mirror can be stressful. Now, the specialists emphasize that staying in videoconference seeing yourself is as much as observing your reflection in the mirror during the same period.

3.- Reduction of Mobility

In a typical conversation or in a phone call there is the possibility that you can move as you wish. But, the cameras used during video conferencing have a limited field of view which causes a significant reduction in mobility.

But also, if you consider that leaving the visual field of these cameras creates discomfort in other people because it can be considered as a lack of attention or interest, the stress is even worse.

Some experts indicate that a person's ability to concentrate is reduced to as little as 25 minutes. After that time, it is normal or natural for the mind to become restless and to choose to seek other types of stimuli.

That is exactly the moment when the exhaustion of virtual activity can be observed with greater precision.

4.- Greater Effort of the Brain

In common forms of communication, nonverbal expression carries a significant load of information that the brain can process naturally according to its own psychological filters.

But, during virtual communication the possibility of understanding certain gestures is reduced. This requires from the interlocutor a greater load of cognitive and physical energy to exaggerate gestures and actions that complement the message you want to convey.

On the other hand, it can also cause a misinterpretation, which will require the brain to have a greater capacity to reinterpret the gesture and can affect the mood of the rest of the participants.

If when you are in front of a screen, you have other active devices such as mobile phones, televisions, smart watches, among others, this represents overexposure to stimuli that require greater brain activity and will trigger an increase in fatigue in less time.

5.- Other Causes

From the physical point of view, there are other causes such as the postures that are assumed during this type of activity that can cause pain in the neck, back, waist, hands and even in the feet.

There is also the high degree of exposure to blue light that is emanated from these types of devices that can cause migraines and eye damage. Stress levels also trigger other types of conditions such as increased blood pressure, gastritis, pain in the body and much more.

How to Combat Virtual Fatigue or Zoom Fatigue?

Specialists recommend some actions to reduce the physical and psychological effects that this virtual activity provides. Some of them are:

In general terms:

1. Take lots of breaks, hydrate, stand up and walk to relax.
2. During breaks, seek to observe nature, as the color green helps the brain cool down and pause.
3. When you are in front of the computer, turn off or mute other devices.
4. The frequency of blinking increases, since when facing this type of blue light this activity decreases and this causes the eye to dry out, which causes eye fatigue and is also the origin of many migraines.
5. Meditate or incorporate deep breathing routines to relax your body a bit.
6. Do not stop exercising, to lower cortisol levels.

During video conferences:

1. Don't use full screen. Decrease the size of the window to see everyone's images smaller.
2. Hide the view of your own image in the application you are using.
3. Move the camera away from your face a little, so that you have more space for mobilization that allows you to stand or walk without affecting communication.
4. Turn off the video from time to time to reduce anxiety and stress.
    

Conclusions

Virtual Fatigue or Zoom FatigueIt is a condition that produces serious physical and psychological effects in people, due to the use of digital screens. This is further accentuated by the use of video conferencing applications.

Among the main causes are:

1. The intense eye contact that the brain is not used to.
2. Sensation of reduction of the intimate space.
3. Decreased free movement for many hours.
4. Greater effort and possibility of brain saturation.
5. Increased exposure to blue light, poor posture, and other stressors.

To combat it, it is necessary to take many breaks, stand and move during activities, hydrate, observe nature, exercise and meditate.

Also, during videoconferences, decrease the windows, hide the own image, move the camera away and turn off the video every interval.

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