Video meetings can be exhausting, and here’s why. When you are on a video call, you are typically faced with multiple distractions, whether that is the ping of new emails, disruptive pets or worrying about how your room looks to the people on the call.

While Zoom fatigue is real, there are some ways you can reduce the exhaustion of seemingly endless video meetings. Bestselling author and leadership expert, Morag Barrett, has outlined five hacks to avoid virtual meeting fatigue. We share her tips in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

1. Say buh-bye to the Brady Bunch. The default view of Zoom meetings, a gallery view showing meeting attendees, can be overwhelming. When you see everyone in their window, your eyes are naturally drawn to them and the movement is mentally distracting. Barrett’s solution? Switching to speaker view. This allows your attention to be on the one person who is speaking—the only person you should be paying attention to at that moment.

2. Turn off the self-view. How many times do you look at yourself on video meetings? Probably often. You want to make sure your hair looks good and you want to see how you look on screen. However, by checking out your own appearance, you are not giving your full attention to the meeting. Barrett recommends turning off the self-view to focus on the rest of your team.

3. Avoid the side conversations. Barrett compares the chat function in virtual meetings to the side conversations that happen around a conference table in an in-person meeting. They can be super distracting, so limit the back-and-forth banter. She recommends leaving some time at the start of virtual meetings for folks to chit-chat and catch up, but once the meeting is underway, it’s best to focus on the topic at hand.

4. Forgo the green screen. Yes, you want to appear professional on your virtual calls. However, you can make your workspace work without investing in a green screen. Barrett says that a plain wall or even a solid-colored sheet will work as a great alternative for your background.

5. Guard your time. Working remotely comes with many perks, but it also makes it easy to work much longer hours. When you no longer have a commute and you can log on as soon as you get out of bed, you may be tempted to put in more work. This isn’t healthy, notes Barrett. Make sure everyone on your team knows they do not need to be available 24/7. It’s okay to decline some video meetings, especially if you have stepped away for the day to spend time with your family.

In an age of COVID-19, virtual meetings allow you to safely connect and communicate with your team and clients. Just be aware of how these meetings can drain your energy. When you take the steps to eliminate distractions and establish boundaries, you will find yourself and your team being much more productive after each call.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Morag Barrett is a speaker, leadership development expert and bestselling author of Cultivate. The Power of Winning Relationships and The Future-Proof Workplace. She is the CEO of SkyeTeam, a boutique leadership development firm.