Four Ways to Help Teams Fight Zoom Fatigue

Virtual meeting fatigue has persisted well beyond the pandemic, with research showing that one-third of professionals still participate in up to four video calls daily. What makes these meetings so uniquely exhausting? In this enlightening video, professor Eoin Whelan of the University of Galway shares findings from his neurological research that explain the physiology of “Zoom fatigue.”

When Whelan’s team measured brain and cardiac activity during both virtual and face-to-face meetings, they discovered significant differences in brain wave patterns associated with mental fatigue. One particularly interesting finding: Simply seeing your own image during meetings — a default feature on most platforms — measurably increases the brain’s fatigue response.

In this video, Whelan offers four practical strategies that leaders can implement immediately:

• Make audio-only meetings an acceptable option, especially when visuals aren't essential.
• Encourage people to turn off self-view during video meetings to reduce cognitive load.
• Standardize on a single virtual meeting platform for internal meetings whenever possible.
• Support team members in personalizing their platform settings to make interactions feel more natural.

These evidence-based approaches can help teams stay more engaged, positive, and energized throughout their remote workdays. As Whelan’s research shows, virtual meeting fatigue isn’t inevitable — it’s a challenge that thoughtful leadership can address effectively.

For more insights on making remote and hybrid work sustainable, read the full article “Virtual Meetings and Your Brain: Four Ways to Refresh” on the MIT Sloan Management Review website.

Video Credits

Eoin Whelan is a professor at the University of Galway, where he specializes in workplace neurophysiology and digital collaboration.

Elizabeth Heichler is an editorial director at MIT Sloan Management Review.

M. Shawn Read is the multimedia editor at MIT Sloan Management Review.