Reclaim Your Focus: Simple Strategies to Combat Meeting Fatigue

Over the last two weeks, I’ve made a shift: I’ve slowed down my professional output to create time and space for more one-on-one conversations. This change has not only helped me regain a sense of real connection in my own life, but it seems to be a rarity for those I'm meeting with, too. The space to be truly present, honest, and reflective without any expectations, judgment, or ulterior motives is invaluable.

In these conversations, one theme keeps emerging: in this hyper-connected, digital-first world, many of us are drowning in constant meetings and the expectation of non-stop availability. Back-to-back Zoom calls, endless Slack messages, and “urgent” emails arriving at all hours leave us stretched thin and struggling with anxiety. When we’re not in meetings, we’re scrambling to catch up, running on fumes and working longer hours. Often, we feel dissatisfied with the quality of our output, settling for "good enough" when we know we're capable of "great."

The Shift to Remote Work

Just a few years ago, our world was thrust into remote work almost overnight. The lines between work and personal lives were nearly erased, constant availability became the norm, and boundary-less work became the expectation. Now, we’re living with the consequences: employee fatigue and burnout, and businesses that are actually less effective and less innovative than they used to be.

The Hidden Cost of Over-Packed Schedules

The science is clear: our brains were never designed for constant busyness at this level. The results? They're staggering.

• Cognitive Overload: Research from Stanford found that back-to-back video calls can increase levels of fatigue and stress, impairing executive functioning—the part of our brain responsible for rational, strategic thinking. When we’re over-scheduled, our ability to focus, plan, and make decisions plummets.

  
  

• The Myth of Multitasking: Neuroscience shows that multitasking reduces productivity by as much as 40%. Each “switch” between tasks drains cognitive resources, leaving us mentally exhausted and more prone to mistakes.

  
  

• Quality vs. Quantity: Long days filled with meetings don’t necessarily mean better outcomes. Studies from Microsoft show that stress builds up across consecutive meetings, while even short 5-10 minute breaks can help reset the brain and improve our focus.

  
  

In short, busyness isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a brain drain that's negatively impacting the quality of your work (and life, for that matter).

Boundaries as Self-Care – and Better Business

Boundaries aren’t about being selfish or unrealistic. They’re about being strategic and intentional. When we protect our focus, we improve the quality of our work, our creativity, and even our relationships. Yet, I can already hear the pushbacks:

• “I’m too busy not to multitask!” Actually, multitasking slows you down. One focused hour produces better results than three distracted ones. Research shows it can boost your output by over 50%, leaving you more time to get other work done.

  
  

• “In my role, I'm too important to not be responsive.” Constant availability doesn’t signal importance—it signals overwhelm. Leaders who protect their time make better decisions and model healthier norms for their teams. Define the proper emergencies that require your attention, and stop feeding into the idea that every minor inconvenience requires your immediate and divided attention.

  
  

Boundaries are not barriers. They’re tools that keep your energy aligned with what matters most—for you and for your business.

4 Practical Strategies to Beat Zoom Fatigue

1. Start Small

   You don’t need to overhaul your calendar overnight. Begin by carving out 5–10 minute breaks between meetings. Step away from the screen to breathe, hydrate, or jot down takeaways from the last conversation. These micro-pauses prevent the buildup of stress and help your brain reset. Notice how I didn't mention scrolling social media or immediately composing as many messages and emails as possible.

   
   

2. Be Proactive

   Don’t wait until burnout has you in a chokehold to take action. Proactively schedule recurring blocks of protected time in your calendar. Mark them as OOO or “private” to better protect them from over-demanding or greedy colleagues. These blocks give you greater control over your energy and create space for deep work, reflection, or simply rest.

   
   

3. Be Clear

   Let it be known when you are focusing and creating boundaries. Communicate clearly to colleagues what's motivating you to do so, set your status to "away," and even allow yourself to put your phone on do-not-disturb or away in a drawer. We have been trained (programmed?) to think we need to be available every second, but we can begin to retrain our brains to be present and focused on the task or conversation at hand.

   
   

4. Remind Yourself of the Reality

   Here’s the hard truth: constant busyness and burnout are bad for you and for your business. Now that you know that, it's your responsibility to change your approach accordingly. Regularly remind yourself of the impact—on your health, productivity, and effectiveness. Awareness is the first step toward intentional change. The better you know the impact, the more comfortable you'll feel sharing the insights with your colleagues and influencing larger change.

   
   

The Importance of Connection

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to overlook the importance of connection. Engaging in meaningful conversations can help us realign with who we are at our best. It’s essential to foster relationships that allow for genuine dialogue and understanding.

Final Thoughts

Following a training session I facilitated this week, an attendee shared a quote that I cannot stop thinking about:

“Don’t shrink to survive, expand to lead.”

Sometimes expanding means intentionally doing less—so that you can do it more effectively and create the space to thrive.

I know it can feel hopeless when meeting overload is all you see around you. It can feel risky to embrace a form of self-care that few others are practicing. But boundaries and focus aren’t luxuries. They’re the foundation of sustainable success.

Meeting fatigue doesn’t have to be your default. With small changes, you can reclaim your time, your focus, and your energy. And isn’t that worth the courage to try?

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