Putting Zoom Fatigue on Mute
Tags: Thinking, Work From Home, Zoom, Work Culture, Zoom Fatigue

Phillip Lauria, Senior Strategist

I woke up less stressed and feeling excited about all I wanted to accomplish. I was significantly more productive and even sat in the sun for part of the afternoon.

Sarah Mohammadi, Senior Designer

In the morning I worked from the dining room table and by noon the warmth of the sun was calling me outside and I set up a makeshift outdoor desk to enjoy some fresh air before ultimately wrapping up the day by the kitchen, as close to the snacks as possible. I felt more productive and even more inspired by breaking out of the routine and not staring at the same surroundings.

Hua Chen, Designer

It was so refreshing to not have any meetings and be able to get into the groove for a solid day instead of being interrupted constantly. Overall, far less stressed out; sometimes we have so many meetings I feel like a chicken with its head cut off.

Nicole Duval, Senior Design Strategist

It was a good way to empathize and make people realize the importance and need to have a space to concentrate without the disruptive sound of email, or the alert mode waiting for a Zoom meeting.

Johan Vipper, Art Director

Relief.

Wednesday Krus, Design Director

I was a little tense at the idea at first. What if I start to feel disconnected? Following our first experiment, I’m happy to say I only have rave reviews. I enjoyed the silence. I revel in the idea that something about myself could change during a year that felt like a standstill. The quiet that would scare me a year ago made me a happier, more productive person today.

Kalina O’Donnell, Human Resources

As an independent consultant, I find one day without any meetings to be incredibly important. Not only is a day without zoom meetings a great break for the mind, but having one day to focus on your work can make the world of a difference in moving projects forward.

Dylan Stiga, Integrated Brand Strategist

Though we have all been physically distanced throughout the pandemic, it’s arguable that the amount we all communicate has actually increased. Being alone in one’s thoughts can be both intimidating but also extremely productive and important, especially for a group of creatives.

D’Angelo Heyward, Design Intern

It was almost like a day off or a weekend within the week, productivity included!

Jason Chen, Experiential Designer

Meet Free Tuesday allowed me to allocate my time better. I even had the opportunity to go to the gym when the sky was still bright!

Martha Kirby, Client Services Director

I was able to catch up on work and check things off my to-do list ahead of schedule. I also ran an errand on my lunch break that ended up taking twice as long as it should have. On a normal day, this unexpected delay would have really stressed me out…”Maybe I can move the meeting last minute”, “Can I take the call from the car?”, “I should have brought my laptop and hotspot!”. Because I didn’t have a meeting to run to I was able to accept my fate on the BQE and settle in to WFMU’s Spin Age Blasters with Creamo Coyl.

Ben Greengrass, Creative Director

Turned on my music at 8:30am and had it playing all day. A day of slack only felt more spontaneous. The day was productive, fluid, rhythmical, creative and I felt a weight had been lifted… Zoom fatigue is real.