It has been 259 days since The Spark Mill went into virtual quarantine, but who’s counting.  

 We are missing our social interactions; chatting with our clients; facilitating board retreats, classes, and meetings in person. But, safety first. Just like the rest of the world we have become ZOOM experts. 

Daily, we are facilitating a virtual retreat, in virtual meetings, or just checking in with our team members over Zoom. Even with the advent of blue light glasses, staring at a computer screen on Zoom calls daily can be exhausting. So, what is Zoomzaustion? It’s when you start to feel like you’re slowly being pulled into the computer screen by your eyeballs. You start blinking more often during a virtual meeting just to stay awake or you fear you will be hypnotized by the repetition of tiny squares showing each person’s face.

I can count on one hand how many times, pre COVID, I thought about how I looked on a virtual call or FaceTime. But now it’s a part of my morning routine. “Do, I need more blush?” “Is this a good background for a Zoom call?” “How does my hair look?” The list goes on. Just like me, I’m sure some of you feel like you are professional videographers. Balancing light and shadows so your Zoom call looks good just in case it gets recorded or someone screenshots everyone to post to Instagram or Facebook.

Although I understand the need for Zoom and am thankful there was a platform that came to the rescue when many of us had never even used or heard of Zoom before 2020 - I am looking forward to the eventual safe return to in-person meetings and face to face interactions that will alleviate my Zoomzaustion.