• slide
  • slide

Recommendations to deal with virtual fatigue

5 tips to improve the quality of life in the digital age


The changes that have been made to the way we work during the global pandemic have been both for better and for worse. Initially, for many, working from home would mean lifestyle changes that were not easy to adapt from one day to the next.

One of the most recurrent measures, and one still in place, is video calls to maintain communication between co-workers, and of course, to serve customers. The abuse of video calls can cause a variety of physical and mental discomfort that in the long term could lead to vision problems and musculoskeletal disorders. So nowadays talking about how to take care of your health when you have a work routine that requires constant videoconferences is more than necessary.

 

 

Taking care of virtual fatigue is key to ensuring health and maintaining a good attitude throughout the workday. Thinking that a virtual work routine can be less exhausting than an entirely face-to-face one is a big mistake, the most recent studies carried out in this regard have shown that there are 4 types of virtual fatigue that employees can suffer: visual fatigue, auditory fatigue, physical fatigue, and mental fatigue.

As a result of virtual fatigue, some employees have developed muscle discomfort focused on the neck, back, and spine, due to the number of hours they have had to spend holding the same posture. Likewise, mental and psychological disorders are varied, since actively participating in constant virtual conferences can mean that the person ends up socially drained and in a bad mood.

 

 

In addition, it is a fact that spending too much time connected to electronic devices, such as computers, telephones, and other devices in general, overloads the person, negatively affecting their rest and sleep routines. For the benefit of the physical and mental well-being of employees, organizations and companies must remember that to optimize productivity, rest and moments of relaxation are very important. Therefore, this is the best time to start creating work rules that allow talents to work from home efficiently and comfortably.

5 tips to avoid virtual fatigue

Shorten meetings. Instead of spending up to 1 hour online at a conference or meeting, shortening your time from 45 to 30 minutes can make a big difference. If constant feedback is necessary, it would be best to hold short and sporadic meetings from time to time.

 

 

Reduce the number of conferences. Making calls to ask whatever comes to mind is a big mistake. The best course of action would be to schedule meetings when absolutely necessary and create a separate communication channel for comments or specific questions.

Reset demands: There is no need to require employees to keep the camera on at all times, especially during long meetings or with a large number of participants.

 

 

Schedule breaks: Entering and leaving work conferences is not healthy at all, so it is necessary to establish some break time between each meeting, preferably 10 to 15 minutes.

Improve the video experience: A very simple way to take care of the health of employees, if there is a constant demand to attend video calls, is to have excellent quality audio and video equipment.