Why Are We More Tired from Zooming Than Real-lifing?
The science behind Zoom-fatigue and what we can do about it.
Ironic, isn’t it? The “logical” assumption points to real-life meetings being more tiring. I mean, the physical labor… makes sense, right?
I’ve never been more exhausted sitting on my chair staring at a screen. (Only in 2020–21 will you see a sentence like that.)
But why? Good question. You’re about to find out.
“Long Day of Staring at a Screen, I Have It So Hard😔”
Back-to-back video calls require more focus than a face-to-face chat. It has to do with our subconscious. We work harder to process non-verbal cues like the tone and pitch of the voice, facial expressions, and body language all through the screen.
See, our minds may be connected, but our bodies are not. Studies show that your words account for only 7% of the message you convey. The remaining 93% is non-verbal. 55% of communication is based on what people see and the other 38% is transmitted through tone of voice.
With zoom calls, we simply can’t have that. It’s mentally exhausting because you can’t naturally relax into a conversation like you’ve been used to your whole life.
