Managing the risk of video fatigue

Managing the risk of video fatigue

Despite the incredible advances in the quality and capabilities of video conferencing technology, most of us will have experienced video fatigue. The discomfort of eye strain, an increase in headaches or simply the dread of yet another day leaping from one log in screen to the next, sometimes joining a new call while announcing your departure from the current one in the chat box. Why is it so exhausting?

It is tempting to imagine this is a post Covid phenomenon but Very Well Mind reports that research dates back to 2008 and I recall video conferencing being a staple of office life well before Covid changed things forever. The volume of video based interaction has, however, reached such intensity that Stanford University now publishes the Zoom Exhaustion Fatigue (ZEF) Scale to monitor and report on levels of video fatigue and influence how businesses, and manufacturers, think about employee wellbeing.

High levels of dependence on video conferencing mean we should seek to understand why video fatigue has become such an issue before figuring out how to negate the causes to get the most from the technology. 

So why do so many people find video calls exhausting?

1. Intensity
Video calls demand a high level of attention, often at or beyond our natural threshold, and all too often managed through a laptop with the inherent limitations of quality, size, and proximity to the screen promoting further discomfort in an environment characterised by a shared acknowledgement of the crazy number of hours spent on video calls! At the same time, we have created an ‘always on’ world so the video call battles with other apps and platforms demanding we focus on competing messages and tasks and the filter for what is genuinely urgent rapidly degrades. That said, intense video activity is also prevalent in our personalise lives through video chat and the many and varied ways we consume content.

2. Wellbeing
‍We’ve all had the experience of closing a call to then wonder where the day has gone. The level of physical movement in our work patterns has significantly reduced - where once we moved to and around the office, static video calls now dominate the working day. Some are able to maintain the discipline of an exercise regime but, for many, video calls start early and finish late. The related health and wellbeing issues are made worse when we sit in a fixed position, facing into an equally fixed small screen, concentrating on our colleagues, their messages and materials. We should also note the impact for many from the absence of non-verbal cues that help our understanding of messages and situations in a physical world.

3. Behavioural preferences
‍We all exhibit different behavioural and perceptual preferences. Some will be living their best lives admiring their own image several times a day in the call gallery and bellowing their life views through the screen, commanding attention. Others endure a tremendous physical and emotional burden as they mask their natural personality and try to fit in, struggling to make their voice heard, and often give up. This struggle is not limited to video calls but is more pronounced especially if high energy, personality led, video calls characterise the prevailing culture or if that culture bleaches any moderation of language and everything is presented marked ‘urgent’.‍

4. Dislocation
‍Most people understand the importance of being able to prioritise the work in front of them regardless of the role being office based or remote – although remote workers may well depend on this discipline because they won’t have the cues afforded by the rhythm of an office environment. Great anxiety can be caused when video calls overtake the day and seemingly override those priorities. There is also the risk of dislocation anxiety when videos with a group who have decided to be together in one place leading to localised, table based, discussions in the video setting leaving remote attendees unable to hear or understand, let alone contribute. No matter that working remotely is a personal choice, the impact is draining and often unmanaged on the call.

Many of these topics overlap or control is subject to environmental constraints but let’s consider what personal steps we can take to help mitigate video fatigue by focusing on the way we manage our workspace and the disciplines we adopt during the video calls.

The workspace‍

Chances are that a laptop is central to your workspace set up, combining flexibility with processing power and, in some cases, brand equity. The evolution of these devices over the last thirty years is remarkable but they can be less than helpful when trying to combat video fatigue.

1. Monitor
‍Ideally we will give ourselves the ability to avoid straining our senses by having a separate monitor, of an appropriate size and quality, set at the right height for the individual and the ability to change the angle as required. At the very least we need to be able to separate content being shared on the call from the gallery of attendees so we can see what’s going on!

2. Separates
‍Dependence on a lap top means we will be physically close to the screen especially if we need access to the keys or the mouse. We find ourselves leaning into the screen and straining to see and hear often leading to requests to ‘go to presenter mode’ or ‘change microphone’. Even if a second monitor is not realistic, strain could be reduced with a separate keyboard and mouse to allow some distance from the screen.

3. Lighting
‍Lighting impacts what we can see as well as what is seen. Lighting should be strong enough to illuminate the scene but not so harsh as to eventually bleach out your vision! This might take some trial and error but it’s all too easy to end the day feeling like you’ve been in an interrogation room. Investigate the growing ranges of SAD lighting options which are designed to replicate daylight and are backed with a wealth of research.

4. Ergonomics
‍Where to start! Calls from the kitchen table might once have suggested flexibility and dynamism but will have done little for our posture! It makes sense if we are locked in one place to invest in a chair that will support us through the day and avoid the cost and inconvenience of visits to the chiropractor. If possible let’s figure out how we can introduce a separate stand up workspace to allow us to stretch and shake during the day. 

Great topics to debate when you are designing a new workspace or a garden office but, regardless of the setting, there are also small things we can do to help preserve a positive outlook during the video calls themselves. 

‍Video call discipline

1. Diary management
‍Consider blocking periods of time in advance for your own priority list to avoid having your diary railroaded or at least insert ‘break blocks’ to book end video calls to avoid overload. Even if your breaks are used for other calls at least you are driving your own priorities.

2. Call discipline
‍A little group effort, or leadership, is required to see some call discipline adopted. Sticking to time, insisting on a published agenda with agreed outcomes, and using native tools such as a ‘Raised hand’ are simple and respectful ways to run inclusive calls. There will always be those who think the disciplines should be designed to afford them more time onstage but let’s focus on the direction of travel!

3. Multi-tasking
‍Priorities are housed in a leaky bucket. It doesn’t matter how many you tick off they will be replaced so let’s challenge the cloak of busyness. Viewed through the lens of video fatigue; if the call is one you should be on then focus on that, actively contribute, and stop tapping at email, Slack, or Whatsapp, while pretending to listen. If the call is of no value to you then excuse yourself and be prepared to explain why.

4. Settings
‍Maybe there is a realistic limit to the number of video calls you can cut from your diary but there are options for how you engage with them. Some platforms have a ‘hide self’ view option so you don’t have to look at your own image the whole time. Equally, most platforms have an ‘active speaker’ view so you can focus on one person at a time rather than a gallery of faces. On calls with bigger audiences, you may have to scroll the gallery to figure out who is speaking.

These are just four topics that deepen video fatigue but are straight forward to address regardless of the workspace.

‍Margin notes

If it isn’t realistic to have a dedicated workspace flexible enough for you to control all of these topics then consider varying the work location, including genuine hybrid working, to engineer change in your routine, avoid stagnation and, in particular, ward off video fatigue. Video platforms are now central to our working lives so let’s become masters of the medium!

For a free, initial discussion about your individual workspace, contact Wayne at wayne@mybridity.com.