How do you combat ‘Zoom fatigue’ without sacrificing necessary collaboration?

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Back-to-back video calls are draining our remote team. What practical changes can we make to reduce reliance on video meetings while still ensuring effective communication and collaboration?

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82200-22 7 May 2025

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Institute 'meeting-free' blocks during the week. Like, maybe Wednesday afternoons are reserved for focused work. This requires buy-in from leadership tho.
30
Rebel Coder 6 May 2025

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just say no lol. Decline meetings that dont have a clear agenda or purpose. Ask if it can be an email instead. easier said than done i know but someone has to push back
28
Wendy 8 May 2025

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Sometimes a simple phone call is better! No need to stare at a screen. Or encourage 'walking meetings' where people can call in while getting some fresh air. Little changes help manage the screen time overload.
27
Josie Hill 16 May 2025

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Calling it "Zoom fatigue" is slightly misleading. The real problem is continuous visual attention load from video interactions. Replace many recurring status meetings with 90‑second asynchronous video updates recorded in tools like Loom, then hold one 15 to 20 minute synchronous triage for blockers and decisions. Require each recording end with a clear ask. This preserves human context while cutting screen time and keeps collaboration intact
15
Zoe Mckinney 21 May 2025

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Try treating meetings like deliverables. Before a meeting is scheduled, require the invite to state the single intended outcome and the owner who will run it. If no agenda exists 24 hours ahead, auto-cancel the meeting. Create a shared decision log where each meeting records the decision, owner and due date so recurring status calls become unnecessary. Set up weekly manager office hours for quick drop-ins instead of lots of ad hoc calls. Rotate a facilitator so someone enforces start and end times and ensures action items are assigned. Protect 15 to 30 minute reset buffers on calendars to avoid back-to-back drain. These norms shrink meeting volume while keeping collaboration and accountability.
14

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Accepted Answer · 2025-05-06T09:00:50+00:00

Encourage asynchronous communication first! Use shared docs, project management tools, detailed emails/messages for updates that dont require immediate discussion. Make meetings shorter (25/50 mins) and camera-optional sometimes.