UNAIR NEWS – Various activity restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic forced the public to adapt to the changes. Activities such as school, college, and work that were previously carried out outside the home are forced to be carried out at home using various online platforms.
One of the online platforms used during this pandemic, Zoom, is one of the most widely used platforms by the public. It makes many people complain about what is called Zoom Fatigue or fatigue due to using this platform for too long.
“Zoom is a more serious platform. So, it’s as if Zoom is the culprit, even though who knows which (platform, ed) caused it. It needs to be considered,” said dr. Santi Yuliani, M.Sc., Sp. KJ., on a webinar titled Improving Mental Health: Overcoming Zoom Fatigue on Friday, July 9, 2021.
In this webinar held by METHADONE (Mental Health and Productivity During COVID-19 Pandemic), the mental health platform of Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), dr. Santi conveyed the importance of managing time in conducting online activities.
“Nowadays, we use social media, play games, and learning online, so the brain cannot differentiate when it needs to be serious, when it should feel comfortable, and whether these are activities that demand persistent concentration,” said the consultant liaison psychiatrist.
She also emphasized that when a person does lots of online activities, a person will feel a bad mood, lose motivation, feel numb or unable to feel happy or sad, sensitive, and even have sleep disturbances.
“Sleep disturbance cases are caused because they are doing online lectures in bed. This is unacceptable because our brains are confused about whether this bed is to be used as a place for lectures, playing, or for sleeping, “explained dr. Santi.
One of the ways that can be done to overcome the problem of Zoom fatigue is by practicing to think rationally. “Today, I have a Zoom meeting for four hours. It means I have to open less social media because if I still open all of them, I won’t be able to concentrate on studying, as the Zoom is more important than social media,” explained dr. Santi.
In addition, being active even at home is also able to overcome Zoom Fatigue. “By moving our bodies, our red blood cells will carry oxygen to the brain well. If we just lay down, there will not be a proper transport of oxygen to the brain,” she explained.
Learning new things is also able to overcome Zoom Fatigue. “If there is an area of the brain that has not been stimulated, we can activate it. So, always learn new things so that there are many places activated in our brains,” concluded dr. Santi. (*)
Author: Agnes Ikandani
Editor: Binti Quryatul
