Seven Ways to Avoid Zoom Doom
Sick of the video chat life? The toll video calling is taking on us is real and to avoid it spiralling out of control, it might be worth trying a few of these tips to avoid feeling doom towards Zoom or any other video chats you might be doing.
1 - Avoid video calling when you can
Video calling makes our brains work harder as it’s far more difficult to process non-verbal cues like body language & gestures over video chat. The more people in different boxes in different locations, the harder that gets. When you are sending a video chat invite or receiving one, question if this can just be a good old fashioned phone call.
Photo by Adam Stefanca on Unsplash
2 - Bring back the agenda!
An hour of planning can save you an 10 hours of doing - Dale Carnegie. To stop video calls dragging on (everything takes longer on them), make sure there’s an agenda so they don’t eat in your day. That doesn’t mean getting rid of the team check in but perhaps being diligent about the time dedicated towards it.
3 - Break it up and have a limit
Because of the tax video calling takes on your brain, set a video call limit and make sure you take breaks in between calls. Yes, we tend to work in hour slots but combined with better planning and introducing agendas, try to have at least 5 mins away from the screen in between calls and make sure you’re taking breaks to go outside, breathe in some fresh air and get natural light.
4 - Tip top connectivity
Dodgy connectivity just makes video calling hard work for everyone so look for ways to improve it. Simple changes can make a big difference. Move closer to your router for better WiFi, connect directly to ethernet and limit other WiFi use (so take your Sonos offline and try not to clash with other video callers or gamers in your household)
Image of our package ‘Outside In’ from our HomeWork range
5 - Zoom from another room
If your connectivity and space allows, try to change up your zoom scene. Just like a ‘normal’ day where you might move to a different meeting room, it helps introduce some movement into your day, gives you a chance to sit in a different position and makes you feel like you're doing something different.
6 - Turn off your self-view
As mentioned, video calling makes our brains work harder. What frazzles us even more is seeing ourselves. It’s not something our brains are used to and if we have self view on, whether you are conscious of it or not, you can’t help but analyse yourself - how you look, what gestures you’re making etc. This isn’t something that we have in ‘normal life’ so give your brain a break and switch off self view.
7 - Get the right light.
The imbalance of light between the screen you’re staring at and your surrounding light means you could be straining your eyes and too much of this can trigger headaches and cause insomnia. Check out our blog on ways to light your workspace to make sure it’s lit well with a mix of lighting types and ideally, change throughout the day to support your natural circadian rhythm.
Check out how to light your workspace brilliantly here
Author: Nadia Themistocleous, Lead Interior Designer
Nadia has worked with Trifle* since 2016 and has been the interior lead for some of our most ambitious projects to date including MVF, BenchSci and TriliTech. Prior to Trifle* and managing her own interior design company, she worked for a decade in advertising and the music industry creating and executing creative campaigns and events. She is passionate about translating our client’s culture, identity or ways of working into the spaces they inhabit ensuring that every space created for our clients is as unique as their business or home is.