When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, people everywhere stayed home from work, school, activities and errands to put their health and others’ health first. Starting in March of 2020, more people logged on to their video conferencing apps, social media feeds and other online platforms to keep in touch with their family and friends.
技术提供了大量机会让你与生活中爱和关心的人保持联系。然而，当你没完没了地开视频会议，它会迅速控制你的生活，让你感觉变糟。如果这些视频电话让你感到疲惫，你可能是患上了虚拟疲劳症。
什么是虚拟疲劳症？
虚拟疲劳症，也被称为Zoom疲劳症，是因大流行病而盛行的视频会议和在线或远程工作所引发的。每天都有数以亿计的视频通话发生，作为人们在遵循社会疏远协议同时，能继续与同事、家人和朋友保持联系的一种方式。
Zoom fatigue is the exhaustion you feel after video calls. It’s a real thing, and although there’s no formal diagnosis, millions of people experience this every day. You have to maintain eye contact more regularly, get anxious about seeing yourself in the video, stay in one location and use more mental effort to pick up social cues through video calling.
就像大多数好东西一样，比如虚拟联结，是有代价的。以下是你正在经历虚拟疲劳症的四个迹象，以及如何阻断它。
虚拟工作期间和之后眼睛酸痛
One of the main symptoms of virtual fatigue is sore eyes. Sore eyes and vision problems already affect people who work on computers all day, and an excessive amount of video calls only worsens eye issues. Eyes are not meant for staring at screens all day, so when you make those video calls and focus on multiple people, it can cause eye irritation, excessive blinking and blurred vision.
在通话中感到疲惫
Video calls have certainly become the new normal, and there are often many difficulties when hosting or being part of an online meeting. Some people may have trouble connecting their microphones, there could be dropped connections, others experience glitches and some forget to show up. Technical issues can make one feel exhausted and cause the meeting to go on much longer, resulting in more fatigue and frustration.
开启摄像头时产生焦虑
在非数字环境中，你在你的常规工作办公室里，知道你需要做什么才能在工作中表现得体。关于正确的网上礼仪仍有研究，有些人在家里必须打开摄像头时，会感到极度焦虑。在家里打开视频通话，就会把家内部暴露给别人。另外，你可能会担心你在镜头前如何表现自己。
缺乏注意力或出现健忘
虚拟疲劳症的最后一个迹象是缺乏注意力和出现健忘。在视频通话中，注意力不集中的问题很普遍。同样，你可能在家里有其它分心的事情，如孩子、宠物或家务。另外，当视频通话发生在一天中某个时间，员工不得不停止工作，加入通话，然后他们要重新进入正确的工作心态，造成不必要的压力，耽误工作的效率。
阻断的9种方式
幸运的是，你不必陷入虚拟境界，有很多方法可以进行阻断。尽可能多地与视频通话断开联系将有助于你处理这种疲劳。以下是一些方法，帮助限制你可能从视频会议和在线远程工作中体验到的疲劳。
清晰什么时候需要抽离
首先，你需要知道什么时候该结束视频通话。如果你感到头痛，视力模糊或极度焦虑，请善意地让自己退出。让你的主管知道，你已经出现了虚拟疲劳，需要休息一下，以成为最有效率的自己。
创造一个无技术的空间
Working online all day is tiring, even without video calls. Create a tech-free space in your home to resort to when you’ve had enough of the screens. Relax with some books, your furry friend or calming music, and no screens.
Focus on one task at a time
When you’re working from home, you may feel the need to multitask, both with your online work and with household chores. This can get extremely tiring, so focus on one task at a time. Set boundaries for your screen time and focus on getting one thing done before moving on to another.
Space out and reduce your calls
If you can schedule your calls and space them out, so you have more screen-free time, then do so. Reduce your overall amount of video calls and resort to phone calls or emails to relieve the fatigue.
Seek a therapist
In some cases, you may feel extremely overwhelmed and anxious about video calls, as they require so much focus and worry about online presentation. If you’re very overwhelmed, seek therapy to help you cope with this anxiety and to learn methods for becoming less anxious.
Plan non-digital activities
When you’re done with your online work for the day, avoid resorting to the television or your phone. Instead, plan disconnected activities that don’t require screens, like reading a book, getting coffee with a friend or going for a walk.
Rest your eyes with the 20-20-20 method
Sometimes, you’re required to be online for work, and you need to work to make money, so you can’t log off. Try resting your eyes as much as possible with the 20-20-20 technique, though. After 20 minutes of looking at a screen, stare at something else that’s 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This will help your eyes readjust and relax.
Try meditation or exercise
When you need a break from the screens or have a temptation to look at your phone or laptop, opt for meditation or exercise. Start positive, healthy habits instead of relying on screens for entertainment or resting purposes. Mindfulness can help set your mind up for a good day, even if it involves looking at screens.
Log off social media
Finally, log off social media and stay away from your phone or laptop whenever possible, or deactivate your accounts if you can. It’s easy to hit the app every time, but if you intentionally log off, it’ll make you more aware of when you’re accessing your screens, and it’ll be more of a hassle. You can also disable phone notifications to help yourself avoid social accounts.
Take a valuable step—away from technology
If you think you’re suffering from virtual fatigue, it’s in your best interest to take the necessary steps to rest and get away from screens for a while. You’ll notice a boost in your productivity and mental health when you can control the time you spend online.
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图片一。Pixabay; 图片二: Pixabay</a
