Don't Hit "Znooze": How Simple Meeting Changes Can Ease Zoom Fatigue

96% of remote workers report experiencing Zoom fatigue. Are you one of them?

Your struggle with back-to-back video calls might feel familiar. Heavy eyelids, mental drain, and the unshakeable urge to press “Leave Meeting” during virtual calls are classic signs of Zoom fatigue.

However, making simple changes to meeting schedules and allowing ample rest time can have a significant impact on wellbeing. Let's take a look at some effective schedule adjustments that can help you and your workforce overcome Zoom fatigue while maintaining a smooth workflow.

Why Traditional Meeting Schedules Drain Your Energy

The brain works much harder during virtual calls compared to in-person meetings. This extra cognitive load comes from processing both verbal and non-verbal cues through a digital screen, adding to the strain of an already busy workday.

Research shows that virtual meetings can also cause:

Heightened self-awareness and anxiety from excessive screen time
Extra mental effort to understand digital body language
Greater focus needed to make up for technical issues
Limited movement that affects creativity, thinking

📊 Research Break: How Back-to-Back Meetings Affect Cognitive Function

A recent study from Microsoft has shed light on the impact of consecutive video meetings on the mental state of teams.

After monitoring brain waves of individuals placed in simulated meetings, the study found that participating in back-to-back virtual conferences led to a buildup of stress in the brain. Participants who engaged in meetings without breaks also exhibited a progressive increase in beta wave activity throughout the day, which is also associated with heightened stress levels. Notably, the mere anticipation of an imminent meeting following the current one triggered a sudden spike in stress indicators as well.

The average employee now spends 31 hours per month in meetings that don't add value, and 70% of these meetings stop employees from getting work done. And what’s worse, this mental overload doesn't just feel bad—it changes how our brains work during the day.

💰 The Bottom Line: A Look at the Hidden Cost of Imbalanced Meeting Schedules

Poor meeting schedules get pricey way beyond lost productivity.

Companies with 100 employees paying average salaries of $60,000 can lose up to $2.5 million annually from wasted meeting time. And according to research from the London School of Economics, too many unproductive meetings have also been linked to lower employee engagement and higher turnover.

In addition, employees who feel drained from too many meetings are:

37% more likely to take sick days
18% less productive
60% more likely to make mistakes

As a result, Zoom fatigue doesn’t just hurt productivity and wellbeing—it also hurts business.

Energy-Optimized Meeting Blocks Are Your Best Friends

Let's explore how to restructure virtual meetings to work with natural rhythms, instead of against them. By doing so, you can enhance productivity, boost engagement, and reinforce your and your workforce's mental wellbeing.

Identifying Peak Performance Hours and Energy Levels

Adhering to a schedule aligned with peak productivity periods significantly enhances work quality while reducing the negative side effects of Zoom fatigue. By tracking energy patterns throughout the day and scheduling work and meeting times around them, workforces can spend and save energy according to natural workflows.

Workers make better decisions and think more clearly when they schedule important meetings during their peak energy periods. To name just one example, scheduling brainstorming sessions during high-energy periods makes us 30% more likely to generate innovative solutions.

Studies show that professionals who arrange complex tasks with their peak performance hours achieve up to 40% higher productivity during the workday. To achieve optimal productivity during hectic work hours, teams can optimize meeting schedules by matching different types of meetings to energy levels:

Meeting Type	Energy Level	Best Timing
Strategic Planning	High	Peak Hours
Routine Updates	Medium	Mid-Energy Periods
Administrative Tasks	Low	Energy Valleys

Building Buffer Zones Between Meetings

Research shows our brains need approximately 22 minutes to refocus after switching tasks. But when back-to-back meetings pull our focus in multiple directions at once, we’re left feeling drained, unprepared, and exhausted.

Buffer zones between meetings can help stave off Zoom fatigue while bringing wellbeing back into focus. For example, scheduling 50-minute instead of hour-long calls creates a natural, 10-minute buffer that reduces mental overload and stops fatigue from building up.

But energy-optimized blocks like buffer zones do more than reduce zoom fatigue—they also create a foundation for productive virtual collaboration. Tuning into natural peak energy hours and balancing sufficient time for wellbeing can recharge batteries and set teams up for success, no matter where in the world they’re located.

The 50/10 Meeting Rule: How To Make the Most of 10 Minutes

We know that back-to-back meetings puts undue stress on the brain, but capping meetings at 50 minutes allows at least 10 minutes to reset and recharge. According to research from Microsoft, factoring 10-minute breaks or more in between meetings can actually prevent stress from building up, optimizing productivity and collaboration.

But the success of the 50/10 meeting rule lies in how those valuable 10 minutes are spent. Not all breaks give the same benefits, so here's the quickest way teams can reset:

Step away from digital devices
Take a short walk or stretch
Practice quick meditation or deep breathing
Get some fresh air if possible
Hydrate and grab a quick snack

Practicing these activities in small increments adds up over the course of a busy meeting day. Not only do workers emerge feeling more satisfied and calm, but they’re also ready to tackle agenda items from previous meetings or head into future calls more prepared and alert.

Designing No-Meeting Power Hours

The best way to stave off meeting fatigue? Logging off Zoom of course…even if only for a day.

For many remote workforces, collaboration hinges on the instant virtual connection provided by software like Zoom, Google Meet, and GoTo Meeting. But just as excessive in-person meetings can bring burnout and fatigue, so too can overbooked virtual calls.

A happy medium for remote and hybrid organizations lies in the power of dedicated No-Meeting Days, where employees can focus on individual projects. In addition to providing solo working time and heightened work quality, No-Meeting Days also put workforces at ease without worrying about morning or afternoon calls.

With "No Meeting Days," employees can breathe, work at their own pace, and get ahead without interruptions. At WellRight, we set aside one day each quarter—typically Tuesdays, IYKYK—to be completely meeting-free so our employees can hold space for their work and wellbeing.

Alice Raflores

VP of People & Culture, WellRight

Communicating Boundaries to Teams

The real challenge of implementing No-Meeting Days is honoring the overarching goal—to work and focus at one’s own pace. With workforces losing up to 720 hours annually due to interruptions, it’s critical to give team members space during No-Meeting Days and collaborate strictly via email or direct message.

To ensure workers can make the most of their No-Meeting Day and general focus hours, it helps to:

Set virtual statuses to "Do Not Disturb" during focus blocks
Configure auto-replies for incoming messages
Block calendars with clear "No Meeting" alerts
Share focus schedules with team members weekly

Tracking and Adjusting Crowded Meeting Schedules

It’s important to consistently monitor and adjust meeting practices to ensure workforces can effectively collaborate and work independently. Let's take a look at some ways to measure and optimize virtual meeting schedules so individual wellbeing needs are incorporated.

Measuring Meeting Effect on Energy

A team's energy levels depend heavily on meeting patterns. Studies show that monitoring meeting patterns helps identify potential burnout triggers, so it’s important to assess whether meeting frequency and duration are helping or hindering workforce success.

To figure out the best system for meeting management, here’s a detailed tracking system to keep in mind:

Metric	What to Monitor	Why It Matters
Meeting Distribution	Daily/Weekly Patterns	Prevent overload and fatigue
Start Times	Peak Energy Hours	Optimize engagement and energy
Duration	Meeting Length	Maintain focus and wellbeing

Gathering Team Feedback

Team feedback plays a vital role in maintaining healthy meeting practices. Teams who continually collect meeting feedback see a 30% improvement in effectiveness and satisfaction. From anonymous surveys and weekly pulse checks to monthly reflections on meeting culture, simple and consistent feedback can ensure meetings align with individual needs.

Fine-Tuning Your Schedule Framework

Individual energy levels depend not on total meeting time but on the balance between meetings and individual work. For example, spreading meetings evenly throughout the week helps maintain steady energy levels instead of clustering them together. Mid-morning meetings also tend to be more productive because they match peak focus hours, so it’s best to schedule critical discussions during these optimal periods.

Give a Hoot and Hit “Mute” on Zoom Fatigue

Virtual meetings are integral in the world of remote work, but there’s no need for workforces to feel drained after every call. A few tweaks to meeting schedules can vastly improve daily work experience, boost team efficiency, and bring wellbeing back into focus.

Trying to figure out how to clean your Zoom calendar and banish fatigue for good? A comprehensive approach to wellbeing is the first step. Discover how to fuse your daily workflow with simple wellness changes with help from WellRight.