Zoomed out?
With many of us working and staying at home due to physical distancing requirements, our connections are mostly online through Zoom talks or face-time. It sounds easy, doesn’t it, not needing to leave home, clicking on to a link and going casual from the waist down, or is it? The truth is, it can be very draining, attending scheduled meetings that are filling up your calendar or face-timing family to check in can lead to cognitive overload. If you are feeling exhausted from all the click/links connections and need a little mindfulness, then book it in. Schedule timeout in your calendar, step away from your device, (yes including your phone) and self-indulge. It may be working on the yoga moves you have been enjoying lately, a fast-paced run on the treadmill or knocking off a few pages of that alluring book you do not want to put down. Detoxing from your device for a little time each day will help you stay tuned and connected when you need to, as well as providing mental well-being.
Schedule in some zoom out time
Just as there are zoom connect meetings scheduled into your calendar, book in a little me time also.
With the sudden shift from personal interactive discussions around tables or in the office kitchen to home office clicking the join meeting button and see the digital images pop up on your laptop can be challenging on the mind. When your scheduled me time arrives, step away from all digital devices and head to a place that makes you feel calm and free, nature is a ideal place, in the garden, a walk on the beach, a stroll through the park or kicking back on a relaxing lounge grabbing a novel. If you only have 15minutes, try meditation or a some loved yoga moves to help release the tension and stress.
Hints on how to make your digital meeting less draining.
So we need our digital connections right now, they are important, we need to stay connected. Here are a few tips on how to get the best out of your Zoom meetings and feel less drained.
Tip 1 - Be prepared, have a note pad and questions ready, show up five minutes before the call and just relax, grab a drink, maybe sip on tea. A clear working environment will keep you focused on the zoom meeting and stop your mind running on what else needs to happen.
Tip 2- Keep the meeting well apart. Don’t schedule zoom meetings back to back. Talk to your colleagues about how often and why you need to hold zoom meetings, can a call or email achieve the outcome without holding too many digital meetings.
Tip 3- If you do not need to contribute too much to the meeting then consider turning your camera off, you can still contribute but you remove the pressure of visual appearance.