Video calls have been a regular aspect of our lives, but the pandemic has even made them more relevant. An increasing number of workplaces are now allowing their workers to work from home, which means more video calls. A raging pandemic means that you cannot meet people physically; the same thing applies to the lockdowns. Also, because phone calls are not the same as seeing someone, most enterprises settle for video calls. But the reality is scary as video calls are impacting our mental health and many people are not aware of that.
People are becoming more cautious regarding their mental health, but even the most observant may not think of video calls’ impact on mental health. Here is how video calls affect the status of your mental health:
Tension with Dressing Up
One thing you will notice when it comes to a video call is that you will feel the pressure to dress up. It does not even matter whether the video call is personal or has to do with work. When you are on an audio call, you can even be naked in your home; it does not matter.
But the same does not apply to video calls where you are visible. This level of exposure means that you need to look very presentable. This is a source of anxiety for many people who feel a lot of pressure to dress up.
Headaches
Just like having to stare at the screen for hours or an extended period, having extended video calls can lead to headaches for you. Researchers have been able to establish a connection between mental health conditions and headaches. This implies that you have to avoid anything that will lead to or worsen headaches for you.
Heightened Sense of Anxiety
It is not news that many people do not like phone calls as a whole. This is because they find calls stressful and even hectic. Including video even makes it a lot worse for such people. Those who have anxiety already are the same people who have heightened anxiety when it comes to video calls. Such people will prefer to use emails but making them use video calls is hell for them.
Feelings of Embarrassment
There are instances when video calls are essential for work, even though many people think it is an intrusion upon their private lives. Regular work meetings can take place in locations outside your residence, usually in a corporate space.
Nowadays, video calls are done from home, but if your home is not the way you have described it to others, it is normal for you to feel ashamed or even totally embarrassed. Even in cases where the negative feelings are not there, the individual may just want to ensure that their work and home lives are not mixed. But this is not a possibility when you are making use of video calls.
Real Frustration
If you are in a physical meeting, you get to see everything face to face and in real-time with everyone. That means that there is no issue of lags. But one of the most annoying things with video calls is a lag, and this is the delay that happens between you saying something and the other person at the other end getting the message. This lag can be so frustrating because not only does it waste time, it also leads to people talking over one another. This happens because they are not sure of whose turn it is even to talk.
When it comes to physical meetings, you subconsciously know whose turn it is to talk, or maybe there is even a schedule to help with that. To make things a lot easier for you, there is no time lag. But this is not possible with video calls, which can lead to awkward communication, and so many people find it genuinely frustrating.
Conclusion
Video calls are a lot of fun and are an essential part of our lives, but they do impact mental health. Now that you are aware of the effects they have on our health, you will be better positioned to know how to handle them. Your health must always come first, but it will depend mainly on controlling the activities you engage in.
