May 07, 2020 20:00:00

5 causes of stress in online meetings

More work at home and more opportunities for video conferencing apps like

Zoom . Online meetings at home may seem easy, but it has been pointed out that tiredness and stress accumulate in online meetings so much that the word ' Zoom tired ' is born. What is the cause? Commented by Associate Professor Libby Thunder.

5 reasons why Zoom meetings are so exhausting
https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-why-zoom-meetings-are-so-exhausting-137404

◆ 1: Decrease in non-verbal communication
Human emotions and attitudes are conveyed not only by words, but also by facial expressions, voice tones, movements, postures, and distance from the other person. At the face-to-face meeting, we naturally conducted conversations while doing communication other than words.

However, since online meetings are screen-to-screen conversations, it is difficult to convey non-verbal communication and it is difficult to read the emotions of the other party. For example, conversations over the camera make it difficult to make eye contact, so it is difficult to convey emotions. It can lead to stress as a result of using the words alone to guess emotions.

◆ 2: Consideration for things you do not want to show
When attending a meeting from home, you need to be careful not to reveal any private information to your boss or colleagues. You have to deal with a variety of concerns, such as keeping things in the background that you don't want to see in a video chat, and keeping your child, courier, and visitors away during meetings. Is causing the problem, says Thunder.

◆ 3: Dullness of thinking
When we had a meeting at the company, we had a meeting in advance with the participants before the meeting. Also, I had to change my mind by having a coffee in the break space or changing the room from the living room to the meeting room before the meeting. However, at home, you attend online meetings without prior meetings or breaks, which can make it difficult to create new ideas and change your mind, and slow down your thoughts at the meeting.

Also, most of the online meetings require you to be seated, and you cannot stand up or give a presentation. Studies have shown that

just walking in a room improves your creative abilities , and constantly sitting meetings have a negative impact on your creativity and problem-solving abilities, says Thunder.

◆ 4: Your face
Often online meetings in video chat also show your face on the display. 'Continuing to look at your own face causes stress,' Thunder claims. In particular, research results have also reported that when one looks at one's own anger or disgust, it is

more stressful than seeing the same expression on another person .

◆ 5: Differences between conversations
Time is important in face-to-face conversations and creates a natural conversational rhythm. However, if there is a gap during a video chat conversation, you may be mistaken for a system malfunction. Research has also been reported that the way of contact is different between face-to-face conversation and online conversation, and it is judged that the person talking is not concentrated when the response in online conversation is delayed by 1.2 seconds .

Thunder also adds to the stress that online meetings can't go smoothly due to poor equipment connections or noise.

An idea that will save you stress during online meetings is that Thunder suggests that you do not use a camera and just call. If you only call, you don't have to worry about the background and you can talk while walking around.