Zoom Meetings Are Exhausting — It’s Not Your Imagination

There’s something about video conferences that affect you differently than face to face meetings

Photo: Ioan Roman

By Suzanne Lucas

I cannot even begin to count the number of video conferences I’ve done since the beginning of March.

I’ve worked exclusively at home for 11 years, and so I thought I was as up to date as anyone on remote communication. I teach a daily class via Skype and thought I was prepared for all my real-life meetings to replaced with video conferences — mostly Zoom.

But, I find them exhausting. And today, after a particularly harrowing one that lasted an hour and a half, I had to walk into the living room and get my son back on his school video conference. And by then, I felt like a nap was in order. (Sadly, I did not do this.)

It turns out I’m not alone. The BBC spoke to some experts: Academics and workplace experts Gianpiero Petriglieri and Marissa Shuffler. They explained what’s up.

• Video chats require more concentration. Everything from the lack of body language, to the awkwardness of beginning and ending conversations plays a role in exhausting people. One thing I’ve specifically noticed is abrupt starting and abrupt endings. It makes for a weird…