54 | 💤Minicast Mastery: Stamina on Screen; Beating Zoom FATIGUE

Feeling drained after back-to-back Zoom calls? You’re not alone. In this short but powerful episode, we share practical, brain-based strategies to boost your stamina on screen and fight Zoom fatigue.

Discover: ✅ Why virtual meetings tax your brain more than in-person interactions ✅ The “20-20-20 rule” for visual rest to reset your focus ✅ Quick micro-movements to ease tension and increase energy ✅ The surprising role hydration plays in reducing anxiety and sustaining performance

Whether you’re a presenter or participant, these simple tools will help you stay energized, focused, and effective in every virtual meeting.

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Welcome to another episode of Mini Cast Mastery, where we guarantee to deliver value in less than 10 minutes.
This is the virtual Presentation skills podcast where we mixed professional wisdom, a dash of humor, and a lot of really cool brain science.
It's wonderful to meet you.
I'm your co-host, Kimberly, and your other co-host, Kathy.

(00:25):
We are so happy you joined us today for this very short episode.
The topic is stamina on screen beating zoom fatigue.
This week is presentation.
Fitness.
That's our focus for the week for this podcast.
And if you go back and listen to the last episode, which was really fun for Kathy and I to record, it was, were pretty proud of ourselves.

(00:50):
We talk on on a higher level about voice and posture and keeping your energy up in Zoom meetings.
Now, this is a micro episode specifically about stamina, and this is not focused on either presenters or attendees.
I have a question for you.
Feeling drained after too many zoom calls.

(01:12):
That's not just you, it's your brain working overtime, and we are here to fix it. 17 00:01:17,500.679083095 --> 00:01:24,645.679083095 I would love to attend 12 hours of Zoom calls every single day. 18 00:01:25,675.679083095 --> 00:01:26,815.679083095 Well, you're gonna be by yourself. 19 00:01:26,815.679083095 --> 00:01:29,365.679083095 Said nobody, Kimberly, ever. 20 00:01:31,375.679083095 --> 00:01:31,675.679083095 Yeah. 21 00:01:32,845.679083095 --> 00:01:36,685.679083095 Oh's looking at me like, what? Who are you? No one would say that. 22 00:01:36,985.679083095 --> 00:01:37,615.679083095 No one. 23 00:01:37,675.679083095 --> 00:01:39,85.679083095 No one says that. 24 00:01:39,295.679083095 --> 00:01:39,535.679083095 No. 25 00:01:39,595.679083095 --> 00:01:42,655.67908309 But that is the reality for a lot of us. 26 00:01:42,665.67908309 --> 00:01:52,295.67908309 The other day I clocked, I wanna say seven and a half hours of virtual meetings, and sometimes there is just no workaround. 27 00:01:52,295.67908309 --> 00:01:58,355.67908309 So for me, it's extremely important to keep up my stamina on screen. 28 00:01:58,720.85386819 --> 00:02:10,480.85386819 Let me remind you that on screen, your brain has to decode faces, voices, gestures, all without the full set of in-person cues. 29 00:02:10,480.85386819 --> 00:02:11,770.85386819 It's incredible. 30 00:02:12,330.85386819 --> 00:02:20,130.85386819 That our brains are able to function in this environment because we weren't built this way natively. 31 00:02:20,160.85386819 --> 00:02:31,320.85386819 This, it's just fascinates me the way the human brain is so incredibly adaptable, sitting, still, staring at yourself, constant eye contact. 32 00:02:31,530.85386819 --> 00:02:36,540.85386819 All of this is a mix for Zoom fatigue. 33 00:02:37,315.85386819 --> 00:02:39,325.85386819 That's a real word and it's a real thing. 34 00:02:39,355.85386819 --> 00:02:42,145.85386819 So I know that I've been with you long enough, Kimberly. 35 00:02:42,145.85386819 --> 00:02:46,675.85386819 I know that you have some fixes that you can share with our listeners. 36 00:02:48,115.85386819 --> 00:02:49,195.85386819 Oh, absolutely. 37 00:02:49,195.85386819 --> 00:02:54,595.85386819 And one that we started researching just this morning was very interesting. 38 00:02:55,105.85386819 --> 00:03:02,365.85386819 We were talking about visual rest and we pulled some research that says every 20 minutes. 39 00:03:03,385.85386819 --> 00:03:09,505.85386819 Look away for 20 seconds at something, 20 feet away. 40 00:03:09,865.85386819 --> 00:03:20,548.950078 And I think this is a really easy way for people to remember a quick and easy fix to boost your stamina. 41 00:03:21,208.950078 --> 00:03:33,598.950078 We have talked before, at least I think we talked in one episode about RAS, which is the reticular activating system, and that was part of our neurolinguistics training. 42 00:03:33,598.950078 --> 00:03:37,378.950078 So I can speak fairly intelligently about RAS. 43 00:03:38,713.950078 --> 00:03:48,243.950078 It is a network in the brainstem that regulates wakefulness and it filters sensory information. 44 00:03:48,453.950078 --> 00:03:53,493.950078 This is something that is happening in most every human brain. 45 00:03:53,943.950078 --> 00:03:59,73.950078 That is why it's extremely important to give our brains a break. 46 00:03:59,673.950078 --> 00:04:04,233.950078 Now, I listened to a podcast a couple months ago where. 47 00:04:04,633.950078 --> 00:04:18,313.950078 The individual was speaking about the fact that she feels we should take a break every 20 to 30 minutes and we should look at something that is far off in the distance. 48 00:04:18,523.950078 --> 00:04:24,613.950078 So little bit of a different style and different approach to giving us a visual rest. 49 00:04:25,258.950078 --> 00:04:27,178.950078 But basically the same concept. 50 00:04:27,178.950078 --> 00:04:34,498.950078 You've got to take a step away from that screen and at least look at something for about 20 seconds. 51 00:04:34,498.950078 --> 00:04:42,425.61674466 And I'm sure we'll find more brain science research on this as we move forward what's your best practice? I would say micro movements. 52 00:04:43,85.61674466 --> 00:04:45,905.61674466 I also think it's really important to stretch. 53 00:04:46,590.61674466 --> 00:04:52,140.61674466 Stand if you can, or sit if you're standing and you just need to give your legs a break, a really quick break. 54 00:04:52,140.61674466 --> 00:04:59,790.61674466 If you can roll your shoulders before and between calls just to unleash some of that tension up there. 55 00:04:59,840.61674466 --> 00:05:04,580.61674466 I tend to keep my stress in my shoulders, so that's always really helpful. 56 00:05:05,630.61674466 --> 00:05:05,870.61674466 Mm. 57 00:05:06,80.61674466 --> 00:05:15,910.61674466 Well, I think that's fantastic and that's probably all the time we have, so I'll just say quickly be very conscious about your hydration. 58 00:05:15,910.61674466 --> 00:05:19,690.61674466 Kathy already knows I am the Gestapo. 59 00:05:19,690.61674466 --> 00:05:24,760.61674466 When it comes to hydration, you hit your water macro, hit your water macro, hit your water macro. 60 00:05:25,810.61674466 --> 00:05:26,315.61674466 Well actually. 61 00:05:26,845.61674466 --> 00:05:28,940.61674466 On hydration and squats. 62 00:05:29,5.61674466 --> 00:05:29,930.61674466 So let's just, and squat. 63 00:05:29,930.61674466 --> 00:05:30,200.61674466 Yes. 64 00:05:30,200.61674466 --> 00:05:30,590.61674466 Squat. 65 00:05:30,590.61674466 --> 00:05:30,630.61674466 Put it out there. 66 00:05:30,630.61674466 --> 00:05:30,905.61674466 Squats. 67 00:05:30,910.61674466 --> 00:05:30,920.61674466 Yes. 68 00:05:31,40.61674466 --> 00:05:34,940.61674466 Well, and now that's part of my micro movement during the day while I'm presenting. 69 00:05:35,60.61674466 --> 00:05:35,150.61674466 Yes. 70 00:05:35,150.61674466 --> 00:05:36,350.61674466 I move away and do squats. 71 00:05:36,350.61674466 --> 00:05:37,100.61674466 I really do that. 72 00:05:37,105.61674466 --> 00:05:37,145.61674466 Yeah. 73 00:05:37,550.61674466 --> 00:05:37,760.61674466 Yeah. 74 00:05:37,850.61674466 --> 00:05:43,550.61674466 The, so the hydration will help you manage your nervous system. 75 00:05:43,550.61674466 --> 00:05:53,210.61674466 So again, if you become anxious as the presenter or even an attendee when it's your turn to speak, hydration is absolutely key. 76 00:05:53,390.61674466 --> 00:05:55,640.61674466 So, micro movements, visual rest. 77 00:05:56,10.61674466 --> 00:05:57,30.61674466 And hydration. 78 00:05:57,580.61674466 --> 00:06:08,110.61674466 The takeaway here is don't push through exhaustion, be smart about it so that you can get as much as you can out of your virtual meetings yes, I completely agree. 79 00:06:08,110.61674466 --> 00:06:15,460.61674466 And if you want the foundation for success for your next virtual meeting, don't forget about the group Virtual office audit. 80 00:06:15,820.61674466 --> 00:06:25,60.61674466 30 minutes, seven steps, less than a hundred dollars, and you'll be well on your way to those successful virtual meetings. 81 00:06:25,270.61674466 --> 00:06:26,920.61674466 Kathy, this feels like a wrap to me. 82 00:06:27,130.61674466 --> 00:06:28,480.61674466 I believe it is a wrap. 83 00:06:28,885.61674466 --> 00:06:29,665.61674466 Perfect. 84 00:06:29,815.61674466 --> 00:06:36,55.61674466 We look forward to sharing time with you in the next episode where we go live from the waist up.