In Brief

Coping with “Zoom fatigue”

The video conferencing technology helping us to stay audibly and visually connected has undoubtedly been a lifeline this year, but it is a new and unfamiliar communication method for many, and it can drain your energy.

Gianpiero Petriglieri, an associate professor at Insead, who explores sustainable learning and development in the workplace spoke to BBC Worklife. He explained video chats require us to work harder to process non-verbal cues like facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, and body language. All of which demands a lot of energy. “Our minds are together when our bodies feel we’re not. That dissonance, which causes people to have conflicting feelings, is exhausting. You cannot relax into the conversation naturally,” he said.

Silence can also be tricky. “Silence creates a natural rhythm in a real-life conversation. However, when it happens in a video call, you become anxious about the technology.” It can also make people feel awkward. Apparently delays of just 1.2 seconds can make people feel that others on the call are less friendly or unfocused.

Psychology Today makes several recommendations, including:

Consider covering the image of yourself on the screen

We do not usually watch ourselves as we communicate with others. This means our brains are analysing how we are presenting ourselves while also trying to follow the conversation. A strategically placed post-it note could be helpful.

Pick up the phone

You could go one step further and chat on the phone for some of your one-to-one meetings. This can actually feel like a more authentic and personal connection. It also means you can close your eyes or gaze out of a window if that helps you concentrate. Plus, you can also take notes with pen and paper, which has been shown to aid focus and retention.

Give yourself a break

Don’t schedule back-to-back meetings. At least give yourself a chance to walk around, get some fresh air, have a good stretch and grab a drink.

Keep “office” and “living” areas separate

If you can, try to keep work and home apart. Try to adopt habits that help you transition

from one mindset to another. For example, you could change the radio station you listen to, or have a mug that you use only during worktime.

Further reading:

bbc.com/worklife/article/ 20200421-why-zoom-video-chats- are-so-exhausting

psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ deviced/202004/why-video-chats- are-wearing-us-out

psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime- connections/202004/zoom-fatigue-dont-let- video-meetings-zap-your-energy

Free online learning from Harvard University

NZTA scam alerts: rego renewal and overdue toll e-mails

Harvard University offers dozens of free online courses through its own website and via the edX platform. The subjects span everything from Ancient Egyptian art and archaeology to the health effects of climate change to improving your business through a culture of health to web programming and game development.

There are scam e-mails circulating asking the recipient to renew their rego through a fake website or use an attachment to pay for “past tolls”.

Genuine NZTA e-mails come only from @nzta.govt.nz. Scam e-mail addresses may look similar (e.g., nzta.co.nz or nzta.qovt.nz) and the message may be missing specific details, such as your vehicle make, plate number and rego expiry date.

For more advice about how to spot and report a scam or phishing e-mail, go to nzta.govt.nz/online-services/ report-a-phishing-scam

Mentemia: helping Kiwis cope and thrive through COVID-19

“The things I learned all those years ago to get me well, now everyone needs for good quality of life.” - Mentemia co-founder Sir John Kirwan

It is 25 years since Sir John Kirwan first got support for his mental health. Now he is an integral part of the team behind Mentemia, an app for New Zealand businesses and employees.

“Forward thinking workplaces are waking up to the fact that mental wellbeing is as important as physical wellbeing. Navigating this connected digital world with more balance can create happier, healthier, more resilient employees. Mentemia is one such platform that can help – think of us as a wellbeing coach in your pocket.”

The app has been developed for working age people, and to provide useful information and tools to help users build healthy habits that enhance their mental wellbeing and resilience. Usually the app would be paid for by the businesses that wish to share it with their employees but is now freely available to everyone at least until October 2020.

NZ trade marks are cheaper now

If you have been inspired to innovate or branch out into a new business, product or service, you may be pleased to learn that the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) has reduced its fees for trade marks.

Application fees have dropped from $150 per class to $100.

The fee for an IPONZ Search and Preliminary Advice (S&PA) report, used to check if your trade mark is available, is now $50 per class. If you then file a trade mark application within three months of your S&PA report (and the trade mark matches your S&PA application) the $50 S&PA fee will be deducted from the cost of your trade mark application.

Every ten years, when you renew your trade mark, the fees will be less too: $200 per class instead of $350.

For more information, visit iponz.govt. nz/about-ip/trade-marks/fees

Some fees for patents have increased however, with a new Excess Claims fee introduced for more complex applications with 30 or more claims during the examination process.

Learn more at iponz.govt.nz/about-ip/ patents/fees

Do you know if your logo, brand or business name is unique?

V

Free for all: Google Meet challenges Zoom

Over the past few months, Zoom has grown from 10 million daily users to more than 200 million. Concerns over security seem to have done little to diminish its popularity. But now the platform is now facing serious competition from Google, who announced in May that Google Meet, its premium video conferencing software, will be free for everyone.

Previously it was part of Google’s G Suite which requires a monthly subscription. Now it is available to anybody with a Google account. Meetings will be restricted to 60 minutes (but only from 1st October) compared with 40 minutes on a free Zoom account. To compare other features (e.g., participant numbers) between Zoom, Google Meet and MS Teams, check out: techrepublic.com/article/ zoom-vs-microsoft-teams-vs-google- meet-how-do-they-compare