Life at work “Zoom out” to counter exhaustion

Teleworkers, do you feel your working days are more grueling since the advent of meetings on Zoom and Teams? A study from Stanford University confirms that all these meetings spent in front of a screen, for a year, abnormally tire the eyes, the body and the mind. What can be done to remedy this reduction?

“The fact that videoconferencing exists does not oblige us to use it! “, proclaims Jeremy Bailenson, founder and director of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab, which recently lifted the veil on the psychological effects of hours spent in virtual meetings.

Abnormally high cognitive load, all these faces that we scrutinize at the same time, these pairs of eyes that constantly watch us, our immobility in front of our screens... All this, experienced several hours a day, is not natural and is exhausting, according to the professor. Especially since there was no acclimatization period: overnight, boom, many teleworkers were caught up in Zoom!

“On Zoom, we receive non-verbal stimuli from several people at the same time, notes Yarledis Coneo, consultant and specialist in work-family balance. The brain gets tired more quickly. »

The pain is also physical. “We are seeing all of our clients remotely at the moment, says Marianne Lemay, president and founder of Kolegz, a human resources coaching company. It's more profitable. But I have noticed that our team has developed back pain and that the end of the day is more difficult. »

Before the publication of Jeremy Bailenson's texts and explanations on the fatigue linked to the many hours spent in front of screens, companies thought about it and took the technological bull by the horns. “People are tired. But is it because of being on Zoom or not having the possibility to disconnect? asks Katia Aubin, Vice President of Communications and Branding at Sid Lee.

To the Zoom fatigue, the advertising and architecture agency adds that linked to Slack and the exchanges that take place on platforms allowing constant communication in real time. “Zoom is added to our activities on a multitude of screens, Netflix, online exercises…, also says Yarledis Coneo. There are no breaks. »

Strict break times

To ventilate the brains of his employees and avoid exhaustion, Sid Lee was firm: no one on Slack before 8:30 a.m., neither between noon and 1 p.m., nor after 5:30 p.m. At the same time, no meetings planned before 9:30 a.m. “We try to concentrate them in the afternoon,” says Katia Aubin.

What about Kolegz? “The training we offer no longer lasts a full day,” says Marianne Lemay. We split into half-days. »

For its part, the IT business solutions company Kezber strongly encourages its 80 employees to drop out for up to a day. “Our president told us about a presentation by Aparna Bawa, Zoom’s chief operating officer, who advocates no-meeting days [days without meeting], says Alexandra Bélanger, director of human resources at Kezber. We are gradually trying to put this policy in place to reduce the frequency of video calls. »

M^me Bélanger leads by example. “My Wednesdays are devoted to personal work without meetings,” she explains. It's written in my diary. »

At Citigroup, all employees have had scheduling Zoom and Teams meetings banned on Fridays by the new CEO. “We are of course a global company that operates across multiple time zones. But when our work routinely spills over into nights, very early mornings, or weekends, it can take away our ability to recharge the batteries, and that's not good for you or Citi," Jane Fraser told her colleagues. employees.

To reduce fatigue, management also advocates physical and social activities between meetings. From the start of the pandemic, Sid Lee established some to stimulate disconnection: challenges, wine workshops, rallies and podcast production. Laval University, in a document entitled Guide to active meetings, even encourages people to move during meetings.

I walk with my colleagues instead of seeing them on Zoom, when it is not necessary to take notes. And I remind you that the telephone exists!

Yarledis Coneo, consultant and specialist in reconciling life roles

But whatever solutions are found, they don't have to be set in stone. “At first, we tried meeting break times, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., remembers Katia Aubin. But it did not contribute to the well-being of people. It created pressure. »

“Companies do trial and error,” notes Yarledis Coneo. It's normal. But great initiatives are being created. Moreover, for it to work, the corporate culture, management and managers must support these changes. »

Tips to avoid Zoom fatigue

Comforting objects

To avoid the hypnotizing effect of meetings in front of a screen, you have to have the reflex to move your eyes. "Place a plant, a photo, something you like next to your computer to look at this object from time to time", suggests Yarledis Coneo, consultant and specialist in work-family balance.

Get up!

Adopt a different posture for meetings. We suggest sitting on a Swiss ball or walking on a treadmill. Marianne Lemay, president and founder of Kolegz, suggests investing in an office that allows you to work standing up. "It's much less tiring for meetings of less than an hour and it avoids back pain," she says.

The cream of equipment

Kezber says he is equipped with “top quality” work tools, such as very high resolution screens. “We don't tire our eyes,” notes the director of human resources, Alexandra Bélanger. We also pushed for everyone to have an adequate work environment. At the start of the pandemic, employees were asked if there was any missing equipment. We lent equipment. »

Moment of happiness

At the beginning or end of meetings, schedule moments of relaxation for sharing anecdotes, away from the agenda. “The goal is to get employees to talk about a funny or positive moment of their day,” says Marianne Lemay. “Most people need this space of spontaneity,” adds Yarledis Coneo. It's a small gesture that could make a big difference. »

Small window

Jeremy Bailenson of Stanford University recommends reducing the Zoom window on your computer screen so you can see fewer faces. You can also give yourself a one-minute respite by turning off your camera so that you can no longer be in performance for a while. “And it allows us to move around a bit,” says the professor. Or to avoid having to react with abnormal gestures. You know, like those big, exaggerated nods of approval?