A few weeks ago, I was reading an interesting newspaper article about people struggling with Zoom calls. In the article it referred to a Stanford University research study that revealed what people like me, who work from home, already know-Zoom fatigue is real. Sitting at a desk for long periods of time while staring at a computer screen and trying to keep your mind from wandering off can be exhausting. Yes, I know because you are preaching to the choir and I am not even on Zoom calls every day! In the study they highlighted 4 factors causing the problem:

1. A need for constant eye-to-eye contact.

2.  Seeing your face on screen while talking.

3.  Having to sit still for long periods of time.

4.  Challenge of communicating via body language.

Now, the suggested solutions offered I found quite intriguing because as a blind person I do them already for my calls. I began to think perhaps this is why my fatigue is not so bad? Perhaps being blind has some benefit when it comes to Zoom-type videoconferencing? There were three main remedies to help with exhaustion:

1.  Turn off the video camera and do audio calls only.

2.  disable the selfie window.

3.  Reduce the size of the call window.

Yep, its confirmed. I do these suggestions already. The majority of the time I do audio Zoom calls. I only turn on video when it is mandatory like a job interview. Or when the person has to see me like a telemedical appointment. Otherwise, the video is off. For example, my book club meeting on Bookshare is done via Zoom and the administrator turns the video off making the entire meeting audio only.

I also pick using the phone option when available. If I get a Zoom invite with a phone number included, I will sometimes call on my landline instead. This helps me to stay alert and engaged. I can get up from in front of my computer and move around, stretch my legs or go into another room. A change of scenery can help boost energy and maintain participation.

The bottom line when it comes to Zoom fatigue is that as a blind person, I don’t have the vision to be as tired like sighted folks. I can’t physically stare at a screen or try and interpret body language. I am not trying to see my selfie in a little box so I don’t have that kind of stress. I also don’t have to be concerned with keeping constant eye contact because I can’t do it anyway. So, a lot of this stuff goes out the window for me. Two real challenges I have is the long amounts of time sitting in a chair and keeping my mind focused on the topic.

But asides from those two things, who knew being blind would have this kind of advantage? Those Stanford University researchers should have come and talked to blind folks like me. I would have gotten them hipped to the situation and knocked off some time and energy on that research. Minus my consulting fee. HaHa! Perhaps using my tips or the ones at Stanford will help you too with Zoom fatigue.