See How Video Call Meetings Affect Your Brain

For many of us endless video calls have marked the time of the strongest pandemic, but they have also continued even when the situation improved somewhat. One college, one meeting, another meeting, a third meeting without the opportunity to stretch your legs or drink a glass of water does not positively affect a person’s psychophysical state. Although this was only speculated at the beginning of the pandemic, there is now empirical evidence that numerous video calls are exhausting and do more harm than good.

In Microsoft’s study that monitored brain wave activity during uninterrupted meetings, researchers confirmed what many people felt from experience, namely that meetings that follow one after another without breaks are extremely stressful, but the same research shows that just ten minutes of rest between two meetings can bring your brain activity back to normal.

– Our research shows that breaks are extremely important, not only to be less exhausted at the end of the day but also to improve our ability to focus and engage while we are in those meetings – said Michael Bohan, senior director of Microsoft’s engineering group who oversaw the project.

The research crystallized three main solutions. The first is that breaks between meetings allow the brain to reset in some way, reducing the cumulative buildup of stress during meetings. During the study, participants had two-hour video meetings without breaks, which led to an increase in beta wave activity associated with stress over time, meaning that stress was just piling up. However, when study participants were given the opportunity to rest between meetings, beta activity decreased, allowing for the aforementioned reset.

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Illustration Brown Bird Design

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The infographic shows how breaks between meetings affect the brain by preventing the accumulation of beta wave activity, which is associated with stress.

Microsoft’s human factors lab used EEG caps to measure beta wave activity – associated with stress – in the brains of meeting participants. For those breaks, their average beta wave activity remained mostly stable over time; "coolness" of their stress levels is shown here in blue and green. For those deprived of breaks, their average beta wave activity increased over time, indicating a buildup of stress; this increase is shown here with colors changing from cool to hot. 

The second conclusion that emerged from the research showed that prolonged meetings reduce the ability to concentrate and engage.  When participants had breaks between meetings, brain wave patterns showed positive levels of frontal alpha asymmetry, which correlates with greater engagement during the meeting. Without breaks, the levels were negative, meaning that participants were withdrawn or less engaged in the meeting. This shows that when the brain experiences stress, it is harder to stay focused and engaged. In short, breaks improve our ability to perform at our best.

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Illustration Valerio Pellegrini

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The infographic shows how breaks help people stay engaged between meetings. To check whether people are engaged or withdrawn, researchers study a brain wave pattern known as frontal alpha asymmetry (the difference between the activity of the right and left alpha waves in the frontal area of the brain). In Microsoft’s study, those who took breaks showed positive asymmetry, which is associated with greater engagement. Those who did not take breaks showed negative asymmetry, which is associated with greater withdrawal. 

The third and final conclusion of the research showed how the transition between meetings can also be a source of significant stress. For participants deprived of breaks, researchers noted that the transition period between calls caused a spike in beta activity or stress levels. 

Strategies for More Successful Breaks

Finding time for a break and how to make the most of that break is sometimes much easier to think of than to implement in practice, but here are a few tips on how to really achieve that. Find relaxation activities that calm your mind. Meditation is one effective way to relax and recharge between meetings, but some studies show that physical activities like walking are also very beneficial. Earlier Microsoft studies indicate that drawing or reading also brings benefits.  Create even more time for breaks by considering other ways of communication. Before scheduling a video call, pause and ask yourself: Do we really need a meeting on this issue?