Back-to-back Zoom lessons can take a considerable toll on anyone. That is why, in today’s post, we have put together 5 tried and tested tips to help you get the most out of your Zoom lessons and effectively avoid the much-dreaded “Zoom fatigue”
From masks to social distancing, there is no doubt that the year of 2020 has brought many significant changes into our lives. Among them, there is one that is most likely here to stay: the culture of online learning, or Zoom classes. Schools and educational institutions all over the world and in every niche imaginable (university courses, karate lessons, kindergarten lessons you name it) have taken to online learning platforms in order to convey knowledge remotely; Zoom is one such extremely popular platform. It is easy to use, and has good user interface for users to communicate effectively. No wonder it is one of the most commonly used mode of meeting and learning tools to replace physical classes. So, “Zoom fatigue” – what is it?
Back-to-back Zoom lessons can take a considerable toll on anyone. That is why, in today’s post, we have put together 5 tried and tested tips to help you get the most out of your Zoom lessons and effectively avoid the much-dreaded “Zoom fatigue”.
What is “Zoom fatigue”?
“Zoom fatigue” is the general feeling of tiredness, inability to focus, as well as feeling of anxiousness from zoom meetings. This can be due to many reasons, such as poor internet connectivity which disconnects users from effective communication, or due to distractions from alternative sources of media and entertainment such as usage of phone to surf social media such as Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. When the brain is sensitized to information overload all the time, this can cause our neurons to be desensitized to new information given, and hence the feeling of dread or boredom while attending an online meeting. This is known as “Zoom fatigue”.
What are the effects of “Zoom fatigue”?
“Zoom fatigue” can also decrease the joy in learning. This reduces the amount of content you can pick up effectively and this is one reason you may feel unproductive despite spending hours on zoom lessons. Also, of the direst effects of “Zoom fatigue”, one that is detrimental to your learning is the fatigue can decrease your attention span to learning. Reportedly, some students feedback they do not learn as well as on online platforms. Likely, this is also because students are easily distracted by content on their phone and social media. Lastly, “Zoom fatigue” can also lead to increased mental fatigue which causes social issues such as friction in relationships, at home and with loved ones.
As such, how do we address the problem of “Zoom fatigue”? We discuss several pointers to help us combat “Zoom fatigue”.
- Familiarize yourself with the software
It’s completely natural for people to have some reservations regarding online learning platforms the first time! Concerns may range from how to toggle the audio/video, how to setup a new meeting, and more. In order to overcome any sense of discomfort, the best practice is to have a mock Zoom meeting with yourself as the attendant or with a friend beforehand. This way, you can learn all of the buttons (or at least that ones that matter the most) and feel more confident during the real meeting. If you do not require video during your meeting and are anxious that you may accidentally switch it on, then a quick fix is taping up your device’s front camera with a paper or some colored tape beforehand. In this way, you will be prepared for every situation!
- Resist the urge of multitasking
Zoom fatigue is the condition where an individual feels extremely worn out after remaining alert for long hours in discussions or classes on Zoom. During these lessons, many individuals can be tempted to give in to distractions such as typing in their phone, checking their mail, or browsing other tabs during the meeting, which is essentially, multitasking. Though people may think that multitasking in this way will increase their productivity and get multiple tasks done at the same time, it actually does the opposite – since parts of the brain have to continuously switch to accommodate different tasks, multitasking greatly reduces productivity. And not only will you get less done, you will also feel more exhausted because of the workout you’ve been putting your brain through.
Next time you’re listening to your teacher lecture in class, resist the urge to begin scrolling social media at the same time – you may then be surprised at how well you understand the lecture. This would help you reduce “Zoom fatigue”.
- Schedule breaks
No one likes a continuous stream of meetings (especially the poor person conducting them), and video calls can tend to make it just a little more stressful. Switching off the video feature on Zoom for a while, so that you can relax your posture a bit, can do wonders for your mental energy. If you’re attending a meeting, then request the host for a couple of minutes so that you can get up and move around a bit; on the other hand, if you’re the host, then break down the meeting into smaller chunks so that the participants don’t feel completely drained by the end of the session. Try this to reduce the toil on “Zoom fatigue”!
- Study any given content beforehand
It’s okay to feel a little lost in Zoom sessions at first since the transition from physical classes to an online medium can take some getting used to. It helps a lot though in online classes if you already have some basic knowledge about the concepts beforehand. For example, if the teacher is supposed to discuss Newton’s laws in the class, you will have a much easier time if you take 5 minutes to conduct a simple google search on the concept and attend the class slightly prepared. This does not mean that before attending the class you have to understand everything – that’s what classes and teachers are for – but, it will help you feel more confident in the Zoom session, compared to if you had not prepared.
- Be it audio or text – to solve your problems, ask questions
No two people are exactly the same. Therefore, feeling slight trepidation at the prospect of asking questions (even if you have a legitimate query), may understandably feel intimidating to some and be almost second nature to others. A completely unresponsive class though makes it awkward for both the host and the participants – and that’s where the Zoom chat option comes in. If you’re feeling shy about turning on your audio to ask or answer questions, then use the messaging option on the right side of the platform, to send a text message instead. It still counts as participating! This is one innovative way to change “Zoom fatigue” to “Zoom fanatic”!
Effective Zoom learning is all about practice: with time, you will automatically start understanding what works best for you and will thus learn better. Follow our tips and don’t give up – you’re got this!
At Seb Academy, we have wonderful video content in the form of lecture videos and mini videos in our student’s portal to help students review Chemistry concepts, in additional to our Chemistry tuition that we offer both online/virtually, or in person. This is targeted to help students review past concepts anytime, anywhere, and learn at their own pace. They can also pause the videos at any time, and review the concepts learnt in interactive quizzes. These have taken many hours to commit, curate, plan and put up, to help students learn best, in such a challenging time of pandemic like this. Together, we can combat “Zoom fatigue” together!
