To reduce the exhaustion caused by sustained attention during video calls, experts recommend several strategies:
Limit Video Calls: Reserve video calls only for essential meetings and consider opting to turn off the camera to alleviate stress. Research indicates that constantly monitoring our own image on the screen can create mental distraction. Traditional phone calls can be less taxing on the mind since the focus is solely on the voice. (Azar)
Take Breaks: Avoid scheduling back-to-back video calls, as this can be physically and mentally draining. Allow for breaks of at least ten minutes between calls to stretch, have a coffee, and clear your mind. Being online constantly can feel depersonalizing, so it's essential to reconnect with the body and engage in physical or relaxation activities between meetings.
Avoid Multitasking: Resist the temptation to multitask during video meetings, as research shows that multitasking reduces performance. Focus your attention solely on the meeting to optimize your cognitive abilities and understanding of the message being conveyed.
While technology, despite the mental fatigue it may induce, has been a valuable tool for maintaining personal, family, and work relationships in recent times, there are still some drawbacks to video conferencing. It lacks the spontaneity and semantic richness of face-to-face interactions, and physical distance makes it challenging to foster friendships and casual encounters.
However, as time progresses, physical facilities will continue to serve as meeting points and hubs for knowledge exchange. While they may evolve, their social essence—the ability to facilitate chance encounters, casual conversations, collaboration, innovation, and human contact—will remain intact. https://azarlive.org