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Meeting Fatigue

"Zoom fatigue" is real, researched, and absolutely preventable.

Why Video Calls Are Exhausting

Stanford researchers identified four causes of video call fatigue:

Excessive close-up eye contact — Faces appear much closer than in real life
Cognitive load from self-view — Seeing yourself constantly is draining
Reduced mobility — You're stuck in camera frame
Missing nonverbal cues — Your brain works harder to compensate

In person, you can look away, move around, glance at notes. On video, you're locked in constant intense focus. No wonder you're exhausted after 4 hours of calls.

The Back-to-Back Problem

Meetings scheduled at :00 mean no transition time. You jump from one context to another without:

Processing what just happened
Using the bathroom
Getting water
Standing up and stretching
Preparing for the next meeting

By meeting 4, you're running on fumes and contributing nothing.

Build In Breaks

Schedule 25 or 50 minute meetings — Leave 5-10 minute buffers
Block "no meeting" time — Protect focus blocks in your calendar
Start meetings at :05 — Gives everyone a few minutes between
End meetings 5 minutes early — Be the person who gives time back

During-Meeting Strategies

Turn off self-view — You don't need to watch yourself
Use speaker view — Not gallery view with 25 faces
Look away sometimes — You would in person
Take audio-only when possible — Not every call needs video
Stand for some calls — Move while you talk

Between-Meeting Recovery

In your 5-10 minute buffer:

Stand up and stretch
Look out a window (reset eyes)
Walk to get water
Step outside for fresh air
Close your eyes for 30 seconds

A break reminder helps you use this time instead of immediately checking email.