Why do online meetings tend to be more fatiguing than their in-person counterparts?
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Individuals often perceive online meetings as more mentally taxing due to the need to exert extra emotional effort in order to maintain an appearance of interest. The absence of various non-verbal cues necessitates heightened concentration on spoken words and sustained eye contact, resulting in increased exhaustion.
In-person meetings serve not only as knowledge exchange forums but also as vital rituals within office environments. Rituals offer a sense of comfort, and ease, and play a crucial role in establishing and nurturing relationships.
Moreover, face-to-face meetings serve as pivotal conduits for the transmission of attitudes and emotions between business partners and colleagues. Emotions significantly impact our behaviors and, consequently, influence management decision-making. Delicate subjects often come up, demanding our keen observation of subtleties and the expression of empathy. Generally, people appear 10 minutes before the offline meetings and exchange pleasantries and catch up about each other family, weather, and other small talk. It is equally important in online meetings.
What sets online meetings apart from in-person gatherings?
The conscious capacity of our brains is limited, allowing us to juggle only a finite number of tasks at once. In contrast, we can process a substantial amount of information unconsciously, particularly in relation to body language.
Engaging in online meetings elevates our cognitive load, as numerous features of the platform demand significant conscious attention. It may be Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, Cisco Webex, Jisty, Toasty, Jamy or Talky
Deprivation of Non-Verbal Communication
A large portion of our emotions and attitudes is conveyed through nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, vocal tone and pitch, gestures, posture, and the spatial distance between individuals. During face-to-face meetings, we instinctively process these cues while still actively listening to the speaker. However, in a video chat, we are compelled to invest more effort in decoding nonverbal cues, which consumes considerable mental energy.
Additionally, in traditional meetings, we rely heavily on nonverbal signals to make emotional assessments, such as evaluating the credibility of a statement. Over-relying on verbal information to deduce the emotions of others proves taxing.
Anxiety Regarding Unexpected Interruptions
Concerns often arise about the suitability of our remote work environments and potential incidents that might reflect negatively on us in front of our colleagues. Worries about online meeting backgrounds malfunctioning or unintended interruptions, such as children entering the frame, can add to the stress of online meetings.
Absence of Informal Interactions
In the physical workplace, we often encounter colleagues on our way to a meeting, providing an opportunity for impromptu discussions or exchanging views. Grabbing a coffee or simply relocating to a different room can invigorate us. However, while working from home, we may find ourselves focused solely on a task, transitioning directly to online meetings without the breaks these casual interactions offer. Even the kids are beings badly affected.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that walking has been associated with enhanced creativity. This underscores the significance of discussions during strolls to meetings, moving around during the meeting, and the increasingly popular practice of stand-up meetings. Unfortunately, such physical mobility is not feasible during online meeting calls.
The choice of meeting location is also significant. The physical setting serves as a cognitive scaffold, influencing our behavior by attributing certain meanings to specific meeting rooms. This can subtly impact the discussions’ tone and focus, including critical aspects like creativity and problem-solving.
Self-Viewing Contributes to Stress
The heightened attention to facial expressions and the ability to see ourselves on screen can induce stress. Observing our own negative facial expressions, such as anger or disgust, can evoke stronger emotional responses than when perceiving similar expressions in others.
Communication Lags and Anxiety
In face-to-face conversations, pauses are natural and contribute to a conversational rhythm. However, in video calls, silence can lead to feelings of unease. Even a minor delay of 1.2 seconds in online responses can cause people to perceive the speaker as less friendly or less focused.
Moreover, challenges like individuals muting and unmuting their microphones, lagging internet connections, and background noise can disrupt the flow of meetings, making them less seamless.
Nevertheless, it’s not all negative when it comes to online meetings. Social anxiety appears to be positively correlated with comfort in the online setting. For those who dread in-person meetings, virtual gatherings might be a welcome relief.
While the heightened focus on verbal information in video meetings can be mentally taxing, it may have some potential positive outcomes by reducing biases stemming from social and emotional signals. For instance, physical factors like height, which can influence social dominance, are less prominent in video meetings. This may lead to an increased emphasis on the merits of arguments.
How to Reduce the Fatigue & Burn-out
With indications that the “new normal” workplace will continue to involve virtual meetings, there are steps we can take to mitigate the negative impacts of online video meetings.
Firstly, consider whether a meeting is necessary. In certain cases, shared document platforms with detailed comments can reduce the need for meetings.
Reducing the number of online meetings in a day can be helpful, and utilizing messaging and email for less critical discussions can be more efficient.
Sometimes, using a phone call can be a better option. With a phone call, you only need to focus on one voice, and the ability to move around during the call can promote clearer thinking.
