There are small ways you can reduce the stress of virtual interactions and meetings as a busy healthcare provider.
The popularity of “Zooming” was borne of necessity. Telemedicine was no longer just an alternative to in-person medicine, but a crucial part of caring for patients. How else could we stay connected with patients, colleagues, and loved ones when the whole world was in quarantine?
Since then, videoconferencing has become a part of our daily lives as doctors. Collectively, we log into virtual meetings hundreds of millions of times a day. There’s no driving, no parking, no traffic. No problem, right?
Not necessarily, say Stanford University researchers. Their 2021 study proved that hours of virtual meetings can be much more stressful than face-to-face ones.
What causes Zoom Fatigue?
- Long periods of intense and close-up eye contact
Remember “regular” meetings or appointments where you’d look at who’s speaking, exchange glances with your patients or fellow physicians, take notes, and look around the room? But on Zoom calls, everyone is looking at everyone, all the time. Everyone’s staring at you (and others), and the phobia many of us have about public speaking comes into play. The result: uninterrupted stress.
To make things worse, many monitors display faces at a size that’s uncomfortably large. Our brains interpret this as an invasion of personal space, something that only happens during mating or conflict.
The solution: Take Zoom out of the full-screen option and minimize face sizes by reducing the window relative to the screen size.
- Seeing yourself throughout the video meeting
Imagine someone following you around with a mirror all day while you make decisions, respond to questions and react to others. That’s what seeing yourself on camera can feel like. It tends to make us more critical of ourselves and more self-conscious, leaving us mentally exhausted after just one meeting, let alone four or five a day.
The solution: In Zoom, use the “hide self-view” button.
- Hover over your video
- Click on the ellipses button to display the menu
- Then select “Hide Self View.”
(Microsoft Teams also lets you hide your own video).
- Having to remain stationary
With meetings in person or over the phone, you often have the freedom to move around. That movement releases stress and, studies show, helps us perform better cognitively. Conversely, in a video conference, we’re locked into a sitting position in front of the camera.
The solution: Turn off your camera occasionally during meetings and stretch your legs.
- Working harder to send and receive gestures and cues
Communicating is, in most cases, easier and more natural when we’re face to face. Gestures and responses come naturally, both to the sender and the receiver. In a video conference, we have to work much harder to get the same interaction.
A subtle nod of agreement done in person, for example, must be more exaggerated on video. Gestures can feel forced. Add in outside distractions – like when a child enters the frame during a meeting – and it can be much harder to make and sustain a meaningful connection–whether it’s with a fellow clinician or your patient.
The solution: Again, during longer meetings, take a camera-off, audio-only break from exaggerated gestures and gesturing. Physically turn away from the screen, so you can tune into what’s being said with words, not with body language.
These are small ways you can reduce stress as virtual interactions and meetings continue to be a large part of our daily lives as busy healthcare providers.
Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). OSJ: 29800 Telegraph Road, Southfield, MI 48034. PH: 248-633-1394. Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guardian. Lifetime Financial Growth of Michigan and Medfinity Financial are not affiliates or subsidiaries of PAS or Guardian and are not registered in any state or with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a Registered Investment Advisor. 2023-161349 Exp. 09/25
Aaron grew up in Lake Orion, MI and graduated from Central Michigan University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Since joining the financial services industry in 1996 he has continued to learn and educate himself for the betterment of his clients. Aaron has earned the Retirement Income Certified Professional, RICP, designation from The American College of Financial Services.
Aaron has over 25 years of experience helping physicians become financially fit. He has helped hundreds of Physicians in Residency, as Attending Physicians and planning Income in their retirement years. Aaron focuses on educating his clients utilizing a unique holistic perspective to achieve financial success while protecting against the many threats that can have devastating effects on cash flow.
Aaron currently lives in Commerce Township, MI with his wife, Amy. He stays active on the weekends with 5k runs and trains at Japanese Martial Arts Center in Ann Arbor, MI in Kodokan Judo.
We are proud to have Aaron McDonald, RICP®, CExP™ as a DocWorking Trusted Resource.
