With so many people using zoom and videoconferencing, I’m hearing a lot of people stating they are having ‘zoom fatigue’ and eye issues.
As a professional who has used zoom, Skype and videoconferencing for 75% of my daily work for over a decade now, I believe it takes finding your personal flow with it, and here are a few tips:
- Drink plenty of water, dehydration can weaken the eyes and cause overall fatigue causing us to hunch our shoulders and squint at the screen. Hydration is critical throughout the day and can make a huge difference.
- Do eye exercises and take breaks between calls. There are a number of eye exercise videos, a favorite of mine is to rub the hands together to make them warm, them cup them over the eyes (not touching the eyes, just cupping) for a minute or two between calls. Great invigorating exercise.
- For women, only use eye makeup when needed and ensure it is clean and not too old. Eye fatigue can make the eyes more sensitive, important to ensure good eye hygiene.
- Ensure the screen is at a proper height. Looking down at a screen all day will increase fatigue. Have your screen up on a platform and an external keyboard and mouse for optimal work.
- Take at least one full day off of the video screen per week. It’s important to give the mind and body a tech-rest and allow yourself real world time to destress.
- Have a daily exercise routine and a breathing practice for times you need energy. Example: walk for 30 min, 2x per day outside and do a pranayama breathing practice for 2-3 min after every 2-3 calls.
- Eat healthy limiting sugar which can cause blood sugar spikes and ensuring to eat healthy food throughout the day to keep energy up. Keeping healthy snacks closeby like veggies and hummus or raw nuts and fruit can help you keep boosted as you work. Have this prepped at the start of your day so you can reach for it easily.
If you continue to have issues reach out to a practitioner like myself to help you with your unique needs.
Blessings, In Good Health, Satya