Combating Virtual Fatigue

Special events

Apr 6

Times have changed in the last few years, full stop.

The rise of virtual and hybrid events first started out of necessity. Social distancing required us to rethink having a conference room or trade hall jam-packed with people. At first, large events were simply canceled.

But we humans are a creative lot. We took to virtual meetings, classes, and events pretty darn well.

Do you mean I can learn from the best of the best in my industry while kicking it on the sofa in my jammies and having a snack? Sign me up!

Outside of the need to keep people healthy in a pandemic, there are other benefits. Travel costs associated with large events can be prohibitive for some. Finding ample enough space at a reasonable price can be a challenge. Even the environment can benefit when we go virtual - fewer carbon emissions from our cars and planes traveling long distances give our planet a tiny break.

There is a downside to virtual events, though.

Virtual fatigue is real.

At the end of a long day of online meetings, courses, or events, you may feel drained more than if you had attended the same event in person.

There are several reasons why virtual fatigue exists:

➔ We must focus more intently to listen when context cues like body language are absent.

➔ The sheer number of faces onscreen can be overwhelming for our brains to process.

➔ Being hyperaware of how we look (while watching others’ reactions to us like a hawk) can be stressful.

➔ Virtual events make getting up and moving our bodies more while staying engaged in the conversation.

There’s no reason to throw out the baby with the proverbial bathwater when it comes to the stressors of virtual meetings and events.

It appears they’re here to stay for the foreseeable future, so finding ways to combat virtual fatigue can mean the difference between a productive exchange of ideas between vibrant minds and checking out mentally to scroll social media Tik Tok for the latest @elyse_myers video.

It may seem too simple a solution, but reducing the size of the virtual event’s window on screen can help.

It minimizes the size of everyone’s faces to give your brain a little break from processing all that information. Using an external keyboard also lets you sit back from your monitor, giving a sense of more personal space.

External cameras can allow you to position it in such a way that you can get up and move while still participating. Moving your body, even for a short time, can make all the difference for smaller meetings, especially where critical thinking or creativity is essential.

Stressed out by watching yourself talk onscreen?

Most virtual platforms allow you to hide your face to focus on what you’re saying rather than worrying about how others might perceive you. When appropriate, stop engaging with your eyes.

Turning off your camera for a bit lets you relax and take a deep breath.

Turning away from the screen altogether gives your brain a chance to rest. While this may have been frowned upon when we started staring at each other on-screen all day, it’s become a best practice at some of the largest and most successful companies. It’s ok to need a break from the screen.

You’re human, after all!