How to reduce your anxiety when video conferences form an important part of your day

Video conference calls have become a necessity for people working from home – in fact, meeting apps aren't just playing a crucial role in keeping people connected but also in keeping them employed.

And if you're looking for a new role, the chances are your interview will be conducted via a video call.

But it's true to say that this new way of working was ‘downloaded’ by the vast majority of the UK with little or no training, and no time to adapt.

And – while it’s no surprise that video conferencing apps such as Zoom are seeing a staggering growth in users, from approximately 10 million daily meeting participants in December 2019, to more than 200 million in March this year – it’s also little wonder that many are still struggling to navigate their way through so-called conference call 'netiquette'.

Other video conferencing platforms have also experienced similar increases. In April, Microsoft Teams reported that its number of daily active users had increased by around 70%, from 44 million to more than 75 million in just 1 month.

It's not just existing teams and familiar colleagues who are now having to embrace the virtual workplace. While the government’s social distancing guidelines remain in place, video conferencing platforms have also increased in popularity for businesses and recruiters as they look for safe alternatives to face-to-face introductions and job interviews.

But despite its growing popularity, the thought of participating in video calls with managers and colleagues, and especially potential employers, is leaving people feeling anxious, stressed, exposed and exhausted.

Priory’s Dr Paul McLaren, Consultant Psychiatrist at Priory wellbeing centres across London, and Medical Director at Priory Hospital, Hayes Groves near Bromley in South-East London, works with many people currently using video conferencing on a daily basis during lockdown.

He says: “A lot of the anxiety in lockdown comes from the novelty. Video conferencing is new to many people, and for the older generation, tech can still be intimidating. However, for the younger generation, sitting on a video call is more natural. If you're concerned about a video-call-cum-interview, think of it this way: it may actually be less scary than having to sit opposite a panel of senior directors and HR execs in a strange and imposing office.

“So yes, there may be a generation gap on some levels but there are common themes currently causing anxiety across the board, including unfamiliarity with the specific platforms your employer or client is asking you to use, a fear of embarrassing yourself in front of a row of ‘close-up faces’, the pressure of unreliable internet connections, and the thought of having to look at yourself throughout a meeting.”

To help avoid and alleviate conference call anxiety, Dr McLaren offers 10 tips:

• "If you're anxious about video conference calls, always try to ask someone who's more familiar with the technology to talk you through it first – that could be your tech savvy son or daughter. Set up a background you like and make sure you're making the call from somewhere you feel comfortable, and that it's as sound-proof as possible. Microsoft Teams and Zoom enable users to blur their backgrounds if your room is a bit chaotic, and Zoom supports custom-made backgrounds for high-end computers

• "It's important you're not inhibited by fearing you'll be overheard. Use earphones if possible. Take time to set up. The more comfortable and confident you feel, the less anxious you'll be. And always acquaint yourself with the mute button. Extraneous and unexpected noise is much more likely at home than in the office, so mute your microphone when you're not speaking to avoid embarrassing attention shifts

• "If you're anxious about using video conferencing for formal tasks, remember that social interactions are all about power and hierarchies. You're on your own ‘turf’ rather than going to, say, your manager’s office. To reinforce that point, you could make it as comfortable for yourself as possible. 

• "Have a back-up plan arranged with the other person. For example, if they're leading on a job interview, you would hope that their digital kit and communications will be reliable and up for the task. If you're worried about your line dropping, or the bandwidth being drained by a video game, do what you can to check and reduce the risk. But it’s also worth putting it out there at the start. Video conferencing is such a novel way of doing things, it’s OK to say “what should I do if my line drops?” They should offer you a number to call or say they'll call you within a specified period of time. This avoids frustrating and anxiety-provoking phone calls ‘missing’ each other

• "If you think about what would happen in a live meeting – you would usually look at the speaker, look around the room when you're speaking and scan the room at intervals. That isn't done naturally with video conferencing, therefore, it's worth developing a kind of technique for doing so that still makes you look comfortable

• "Some people are anxious about video conferencing primarily because of their own issues. They have problems with body image and feel very comfortable on a telephone call, but appearing on screen may be difficult for them. It's difficult for the other person to pick up the cues that show we're anxious. Getting just a ‘head and shoulders’ shot misses the non-verbal signs in our posture such as moving our hands or feet. A would-be employer might detect anxiety in your voice, but if you're really anxious and self-conscious, then it's perfectly OK to let them know 

• "If you do have self-image issues, then once you get yourself positioned in shot, switch off your self-view. You don't need that distraction

• "If you're interviewing by video conferencing and want to minimise the impact of the medium on your task – which is getting the right person for your role – remember that some people may find the medium anxiety-provoking. Check that they're comfortable and ask them how they feel about being interviewed that way. And try to remember that while many face-to-face meetings take too long, video conferences are no exception. Research shows that the average mind wanders after 18 minutes, so keep things to the point

• "You might want to consider how you sound, including your distance from the microphone. Switching from a laptop’s built-in microphone to a headphone microphone can help. You might want to record yourself on a call in advance and listen back so you can hear how you sound. If you were sharing a room with someone, you might modulate the sound of your voice, so you may want to experiment with that
• "Sometimes, seeing the person you're speaking to doesn't enhance the experience. Phone calls can be just as useful and can make both parties more relaxed, so don’t think that because video conferencing is there, you have to use it"

ENDS

Contact: [email protected]

About Priory and MEDIAN

Priory is the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health services. We treat more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across our nationwide network of sites. We also support autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within our specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.

Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, one of Europe’s leading providers of high quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises 290 facilities with 5,000 beds caring for 28,000 people in the UK, 120 facilities with 20,000 beds caring for around 250,000 patients in Germany, and 15 facilities with 2,000 beds caring for 13,000 people in Spain, with more than 29,000 employees overall.