Parents in order to better understand about the Zone of Regulations

I have put together some information that would best explain what it is and how it is used within the classroom and the counseling program.

What is Zoom fatigue?

A feeling of worry, chronic tiredness, and general burnout are results of the overuse of virtual communication. People indulging in long workdays with consecutive video calls/meetings also report zoom fatigue symptoms like a sore butt, throbbing eyes, and general exhaustion too.

While other companies also offer video conferencing solutions, Zoom’s solution was simple and quickly became a de-facto platform for virtual meetings during the pandemic.

Thus, fatigue and accompanying symptoms came to be collectively called “Zoom fatigue”.

Why zoom fatigue is so exhausting?

Now that we know what is Zoom fatigue and how it creeps into our work and personal lives, let’s go a level deeper to understand the physical ramifications of extended screen hours.

1.Your brain is working more to process non-verbal and visual cues

In a face-to-face meeting, we can easily notice and assess the non-verbal cues – facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, posture, and more. All these signals not only tell us about the intent of the speaker, but also the statement’s credibility.

We need these signals to prepare a response appropriate to the listener’s current state.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Noticing such signals over video calls becomes a separate task to manage in addition to your work. Your brains have to exert additional cognitive and emotional effort.

All of this happens inside our brains in a span of milliseconds. While working from home, our brain is already overloaded trying to manage multiple tasks and cues from the home environment.

Putting all these reasons in context, it’s easy to understand why frequent video calls contribute to zoom fatigue.

Zoom Fatigue Solutions

1. Keep Zoom in its place

Creating a particular space in your home where school always takes place is essential (read more here). Kids should only take Zoom calls in this at-home learning environment to manage school boundaries within the home. Creating physical boundaries for school helps mentally prepare kids for learning, and also allows for different parts of the home to feel more relaxing and mentally non-invasive.

2. Tweak Zoom settings

In order to lessen performance anxiety and self-consciousness on camera, tweak the settings on Zoom to "Gallery View." This feature shows all participants in equal-sized frames on screen. Seeing themselves in a grid rather than as the main focus of the screen helps kids contextualize their visibility and reduce the feeling that all eyes are on them.

3. Do a visual self-check

Encourage your child to do a self-check in their camera view before meetings begin. This will allow them to see exactly how they are presenting themselves to the group. After this self-check, kids should practice shifting their focus to whoever is speaking. When kids focus on the speaker, rather than their own image during a meeting, they can use their mental energy to learn rather than feel self-conscious.

4. Discourage multitasking

Encourage your child to pay attention and to avoid multitasking. Trying to do too many things at once taxes the brain and results in mental fatigue. Focusing on the topic will help with later academic efforts as well.

5. Doodle

Provide your child with a doodle pad to draw or doodle while still listening. In my opinion, doodling is NOT multitasking; it is a physical expression of mental processing, especially if the doodling includes key words or images from the discussion. Consider doodling a form of note taking. Doodling also adds a new and purposeful visual focus and can even reinforce discussion topics later if your child is listening well.