Many people feel tired after a day of video calls: the fixed gaze, the lag, and seeing your own face. Seven tools.
1. Hide your own face first
Many call apps let you hide your own video. Some people find it less tiring.
2. Let your eyes leave the grid
During others’ long turns, look away on purpose – at the window, the far wall, your notes. You can listen without maintaining continuous eye contact.
3. Stand or stretch during the listening parts
Camera off (or angled) during a long presentation? Stand up, sway, roll the shoulders. Micro-movements mid-call give your body a change from sitting.
4. Ground between calls, not during breaks
The gap between calls can be a short transition. Ten seconds: feet planted, one long exhale, eyes on something far. Grounding at each transition is a simple way to pause.
5. Loosen the face and neck
After a stretch of calls, try to loosen the face and neck. Shake the head gently, yawn wide, massage the jaw hinge. The jaw check-in may help.
6. Make some calls walks
One-on-ones and listen-only calls: take them on foot with headphones. Walking meetings mean you move and get outdoor light. Stay aware of traffic and uneven ground.
7. Feel the difference between tired and peopled-out
After the last call, check which tired it is: body-tired (move, stretch) or people-tired (quiet, no faces, low input). Tracking the distinction matters so you can choose what you need that evening.
If the fatigue is the job’s shape
If back-to-back video calls are the job’s permanent shape and the fatigue is chronic, it may help to change how meetings are scheduled, for example with meeting-free blocks. You could raise it with whoever owns the calendar. Persistent exhaustion that does not lift with rest is worth mentioning to a doctor.
Related: practices for screen-strained eyes.
