The incredible mental health toll of virtual meetings

Keywords: meetings, mentalhealth, exhaustion, burnout, productivity, efficiency

Date: 16 April 2025, WorkLife Digital

Recent research using advanced neurological tools like electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) has revealed that "Zoom fatigue" (the tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with the use of virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom, MSTeams, and GoogleMeet) is a scientifically validated reality that is reshaping the way we work. It reveals that virtual meetings drain mental energy far more than face-to-face interactions. Participants in these studies showed increased theta and alpha brain wave activity - clear indicators of fatigue - and experienced lower heart rates coupled with heightened heart rate variability during video calls. These physiological responses underscore the exhausting impact of prolonged virtual communication.

The problem, however, goes beyond the act of attending virtual meetings. Features like self-view, which display one's own image on screen, amplify mental strain. This constant self-monitoring fosters heightened self-consciousness and cognitive overload, leaving employees drained and unfocused. The findings align with broader research on the emotional toll of hyperconnectivity in digital workplaces, where workers feel compelled to be perpetually available and responsive. As virtual meetings become a staple of modern work culture, addressing their mental health implications is no longer optional - it’s a business imperative.

Productivity losses from meeting overload

The prevalence of unproductive meetings is staggering. Studies reveal that 71% of all meetings are deemed unproductive, with employees spending an average of 31 hours per month in such sessions. These interruptions fragment work, reduce focus, and lower the quality of outputs. Employees often rush through tasks or make errors to compensate for lost time, further compounding inefficiencies. 70% of employees believe their job satisfaction would improve if they attended fewer meetings.

The indirect costs are equally concerning. Excessive meetings stifle innovation by leaving little room for creative thinking and experimentation. They also contribute to disengagement, with 65% of employees reporting that frequent meetings prevent them from focusing on their core responsibilities. This disengagement directly impacts morale and productivity, as engaged employees are more likely to be motivated and committed to organisational goals.

Absenteeism and turnover: The human cost

Meeting overload is a significant driver of employee burnout - a state characterised by chronic stress, exhaustion, and reduced performance. Burnout has been linked to increased absenteeism as employees take time off to recover from the relentless demands of their roles. Furthermore, the pressure to attend numerous meetings while juggling regular duties often leads employees to seek better work-life balance elsewhere. High turnover rates not only disrupt workflows but also impose substantial recruitment and training costs on organisations.

Strategies to mitigate meeting overload and enhance productivity

To address its impacts, business leaders must adopt practical strategies that optimise meeting practices while fostering a culture of mentally health practices, productivity and engagement. Here are five actionable approaches to combat meeting fatigue and improve outcomes:

1. Measure meeting impact and efficiency

The first step in tackling meeting overload is understanding its dynamics. Advanced analytics tools like The Meeting Canary can track key metrics such as the cost of meetings, speaking time distribution, participant engagement levels, and the relationships between attendees. These insights allow organisations to pinpoint inefficiencies and identify behaviours that hinder productivity. For example, analytics can alert managers to overly long meetings, repetitive discussions, or imbalanced participation.

2. Limit self-view features while encouraging camera use

Research has shown that prolonged exposure to self-view during virtual meetings increases cognitive load and self-consciousness, contributing to mental fatigue. However, turning cameras off entirely may lead to disengagement or multitasking during meetings. A balanced approach is to disable self-view while encouraging participants to keep their cameras on.

This strategy ensures attendees remain alert and actively engaged in discussions without the added strain of monitoring their appearance. By focusing on the conversation rather than their own image, employees can contribute more meaningfully while reducing the mental toll of virtual interactions.

3. Use tools to record and summarise meetings

Recording meetings and summarising their content is an essential step in streamlining follow-ups and ensuring accountability. Tools that automatically capture decisions, action points, and deadlines save time while maintaining clarity around next steps.

Assigning responsibility for action items during the meeting ensures accountability, while providing participants with clear deadlines keeps projects on track. These summaries serve as valuable references for future discussions, reducing the need for redundant meetings and improving overall efficiency.

4. Start and finish meetings on time with clear agendas

Time management is critical in combating meeting overload. Meetings should begin and end promptly, respecting participants' schedules and avoiding unnecessary delays. Establishing a clear purpose for each meeting ensures that discussions remain focused on achieving specific outcomes.

Creating detailed agendas in advance helps attendees prepare effectively and ensures that only those who truly need to participate are invited. By prioritising brevity and relevance, leaders can foster more productive conversations while minimising wasted time.

5. Implement meeting-free days or periods

Designating specific days or blocks of time as meeting-free zones gives employees uninterrupted periods for deep work and recovery. These breaks from meetings allow teams to focus on critical tasks without the constant disruption of scheduled calls. Meeting-free days have been shown to enhance productivity, reduce stress and burnout levels, boost morale and foster creativity.

The business case for action

Meeting overload represents a silent yet pervasive threat to organisational success. Its impacts - ranging from neurological fatigue to absenteeism - highlight the urgent need for intervention. Addressing meeting overload is not just a matter of employee well-being - it’s a strategic imperative. Studies estimate that unproductive meetings cost U.S. companies $37 billion annually due to wasted time and resources. Additionally, highly productive organisations enjoy operating margins 30–50% higher than their less efficient counterparts. By reducing meeting overload, businesses can unlock significant gains in productivity while fostering a healthier workplace culture.

WorkLife Digital is a global mental-wellbeing consultancy driven by the mission to improve the sustainability of businesses. Our psychological wellbeing tool, Worklife Quotient (WL-Q), is modelled on cutting-edge scientific research and provides organisation-wide measurement and intelligence on the mental wellbeing levels and psychological resilience of staff. WL-Q also assesses the impact of organisational practices (i.e. people and culture, leadership styles, organisational purpose and values, social impact) that have a direct influence on staff wellbeing and provides strategic recommendations on addressing risks and promoting strengths.

For more information, get in touch at lisa@worklife.digital

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E. Marsh, E.P. Vallejos & A. Spence. Digital workplace technology intensity: qualitative insights on employee wellbeing impacts of digital workplace job demands. Front. Organ. Psychol., December 2024
https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/60503/employee-well-being-and-health-in-a-boundaryless-workplace/articles

E. Whelan, R. Riedl, M. Salo, and H. Pirkkalainen Virtual Meetings and Your Brain: Four Ways to Refresh. MITSloan Management Review, March 2025
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/virtual-meetings-and-your-brain-four-ways-to-refresh

B. Laker, V. Pereira, A. Malik and L. Soga. Dear manager, you're holding too many meetings. Harvard Business Review, March 2022
https://hbr.org/2022/03/dear-manager-youre-holding-too-many-meetings

https://pumble.com/learn/communication/meeting-statistics/