You’ve definitely heard of pandemic-related fatigue, and you might have even felt it yourself. But there’s another type of fatigue plaguing workplaces: Zoom fatigue.
This can be a real problem when it comes to not only having a team that is productive and connected, but also for energizing your team for Zoom games and other team-building activities.
Here’s the thing: Zoom and its counterparts have completely transformed the way we work from home (or from anywhere). These tools have given us the unparalleled opportunity to work collaboratively, talk with each other in real-time, and even meet each other’s pets and family members (for better or for worse).
But if you’re anything like us, you and your team might be feeling some sort of fatigue when it comes to Zoom meetings and games. Maybe you only put on work-appropriate clothes from the waist up, maybe you keep your camera off some days, or maybe you’re slyly scrolling on another webpage during meetings.
And we hate to break it to you, but your team is probably doing the same.
When you only see your coworkers on a tiny screen for months on end (or more), it can be easy to forget just how awesome you all really are, and how incredible it is that we have these opportunities to connect with one another and work together from just about anywhere.
But the good news? There are ways you can help combat Zoom fatigue, to get your team laughing, chatting and connecting with one another.
Zoom Fatigue is a Real Thing (Really)
In order to get your team energized for Zoom games, it’s important to understand what exactly is holding them back.
When it comes to everything from your morning meeting to Zoom games, you and your team are likely feeling Zoom fatigue, which is actually something that is being studied.
One Stanford professor took a look at the psychological impacts of spending hours a day on video conferencing platforms, and published the first “peer-reviewed article that systematically deconstructs Zoom fatigue from a psychological perspective.”
This article identifies four main reasons why we might be feeling exhausted when it comes to our video calls:
- The eye contact is unnatural
Both the amount of eye contact we use in video calls and the size of faces on the screen is unnatural. In person, people will look around, take notes, or stare off somewhere else.
On Zoom calls, everyone is looking at another face, even that face isn’t the speaker. Doing that IRL would probably get you some strange glanes in return. Also, depending on how you use Zoom, the other faces can appear “too large for comfort” in our intimate personal space. This is more common in one-on-one video calls.
- Seeing yourself is tiring
We don’t walk around with mirrors all the time in real life, looking at ourselves. So when we look at that little square of ourselves constantly on video calls, it can be fatiguing.
The author of the paper also “cited studies showing that when you see a reflection of yourself, you are more critical of yourself.”
- Video chats reduce usual mobility
In person conversations and audio calls allow us to move around and walk. You’re at least probably standing and shuffling your feet, or maybe walking with someone to the vending machine down the hall.
With video calls, we generally have to stay in one place, and movement is limited.
- Our brains are being overworked
Regular face-to-face interaction allows us to use our natural nonverbal communication skills to understand gestures and nonverbal cues subconsciously.
But with video calls, we have to put a lot of thought into our own actions, and into understanding what other people mean. Instead of a subtle head nod, you have to do an exaggerated movement in order for someone to notice, for example.
So, in order to get your team energized and ramped up for your next Zoom games, you’re going to have to get in front of all of these natural reasons why we’re exhausted. That means taking psychological safety at work and wellbeing in mind, instead of just plowing forward with business-as-usual.
You might be wondering what exactly we mean by psychological safety at work, because it’s not like virtual conferences are like BASE jumping.
Many people (including experts) worry about the impacts of the shift to virtual work on our mental wellbeing. Detecting social cues is difficult, understanding non-verbal cues is nearly impossible, and distractions are all around us.
In order to best take care of our teams, as well as getting them to have some plain ole’ fun with Zoom games, leaders need to understand the impacts of these virtual work tools, and prioritize psychological safety at work.
The Benefits of Zoom Games
Despite the challenges that come along with constant virtual contact, there are plenty of benefits when it comes to Zoom games and other good virtual team building activities.
Firstly, these games give teams the time to connect outside of their regular work conversations. When all of our interactions are over video calls, we lose some of that organic conversation that happens when we’re in the office.
Instead of stopping by someone’s desk to say hey or talk about last night’s episode of that show you both watched, you have to find some time in their virtual calendar.
Second, Zoom games allow everyone to laugh and unwind together. Sure, when you turn off your camera and unplug for the day you might breathe a sigh of relief and use the rest of your day for fun. But why can’t you do that with your coworkers?
Lastly, Zoom games and other team building activities ultimately lead to stronger teams. When team members have stronger connections, they’re simply bound to work better together.
How to Get Your Team Ready for Zoom Games
Getting your team ready for Zoom games isn’t only useful for games, but can be handy for any meeting or any of your favorite team building activities. Here are some ideas to help get your team ready for Zoom games:
Encourage virtual backgrounds
One great way to get everyone thinking, energized, and participating is to encourage the use of custom virtual backgrounds. Instead of being in their home office, everyone can choose where exactly they are. Maybe one person is lounging on a beach in the Bahamas, maybe one is floating through the sky, and maybe another is at their favorite band’s concert.
This activity not only gets everyone participating from the get-go, but also gives everyone something to talk about.
Encourage a change of scenery
Instead of everyone coming to you live from their usual location, encourage a change of scenery. Your team can Zoom from their living room, front stoop, or from the local coffee shop (although maybe they should sit outside depending on the game). Getting people to switch up their location can help them feel more energized and engaged, and again, gives them something to talk about.
Get everyone moving
We already know that sitting all day is tiring, and that immobility is a direct contributor to Zoom fatigue. So in order to get everyone feeling energized and present, start off with a few minutes of moving. You can lead everyone through some gentle “deskercise” seated stretches to get the blood flowing, or have them stand up for some easy movement.
Go round-robin and share something
Next, you should definitely get everybody engaged before you start your Zoom game, so nobody stays in the shadows. Have a question or conversation prompt ready to go, and go around the group. Make sure it’s not a yes or no question, so everyone has to come up with some sort of answer.
Give participants a choice
People don’t always love being “forced” to do things, especially play Zoom games. Instead, you can give your team a choice in their activities, so they feel like they have some agency in what’s going on. If your team is on the smaller side, you can have them vote on which activity to do together.
Or if you have a larger team, you can have them vote on breakout rooms after a main activity. That way everyone will have time for some team building together, but they can then split off into separate activities of their choosing.
We already spend so much time on Zoom and other video conferencing apps that using it for games might seem a little tiresome. We get it, because we’re there too. But at the end of the day, these video conferencing tools are incredibly powerful for helping us build stronger teams, and for helping us all stay connected, no matter where we’re working from.
Kabloom is Built for Better Teams
So you want to get everyone energized with some awesome virtual games and team building activities, but you’re not sure where to start.
That’s where we come in.
Here at Kabloom, there’s one thing that we know inside and out, and that’s virtual team building. Our fresh experiences, such as virtual halloween parties, holiday parties, or graffiti workshops, will revitalize your team, and truly bring them together. Contact us today so we can curate the perfect experience for you and your team.
