Fresh out of bed and straight to the computer. This is beginning to describe more and more Americans’ morning routine in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past five weeks, society has become involuntarily attached to screens. In an attempt to ward off the lack of motivation that comes from most of today’s pandemic-centered workspaces, the main source of entertainment has come from the nearest electronic device.

As a college student, staff, or faculty member, it’s safe to say that most people are feeling a little worn out.

Along with this new humdrum workload, there may be another common feeling: something the masses have been calling “Zoom Fatigue.” Rising to fame in April of this year, the term has become the popular phrase to describe the exhaustion from non-stop video calls and lack of physical interaction.

Whether it’s becoming more interested in setting the correct time on a digital clock, making a new cup of coffee, or rearranging a desk drawer, video calls make it easier to zone out than ever before. At the end of the day, this new online environment may leave people feeling worn from the strain of paying attention or the stress of playing catch up.

Wyatt Thurber, a first-year student at the University of Minnesota Duluth majoring in environmental and geographical sustainability, has a fix to this. At the beginning of the 2020 fall semester, Thurber began his Zoom experience on the mobile app on his phone instead of on a computer.

While to some, this may seem like a rather challenging situation, Thurber shared that “it helps if anything.” Thurber said it keeps him from going on his phone during class and getting distracted. For those who’ve found themselves more captivated by YouTube or Buzzfeed than an 8 a.m. meeting or class, the mobile app may be a quick and simple solution.

For those more distracted by birds outside a window or the enticing warmth of a bed, Emily Otto, a sophomore at UMD majoring in social work, has a study tip.

“I try to look at my notes from the week before about 30 minutes before the class starts,” Otto said. “I also create a comfortable space with everything I need, including water. Whenever I get super tired, I try to drink water and it helps.”

While those are manageable ways to boost academic losses from Zoom Fatigue, what can be done about personal losses? How does one fix the mentally, emotionally, and physically draining burnout that comes with little human contact and constant screen time?

Alastair Knowles, a professor of Interpersonal Communication and Public Speaking at UMD, calls attention to the importance of pre-established relationships.

“It can be soul-sucking at times, not seeing students face-to-face,” Knowles said.

“With online learning, we don’t get the opportunity to bump into someone on campus [or] to make connections at heart.”

Knowles emphasized the importance of communicating with those you have already connected with, advising to “make sure to connect with... friends who live outside of... academic life.” Knowles stressed that the ability to break away from school in all areas and reconnect with reality is essential these days.

In addition to talk therapy with loved ones, there are many hobbies and physical activities that help relieve the mind of unwanted strain and stress. Knowles promotes physical activity and working out at home.

“For those that always exercise, it’s worth investing in some at-home workout equipment, whether that be a subscription to services, such as the at-home Nike camp, or something as simple as a pull-up bar,” Knowles said.

Stacy Crawford, Advising Director at UMD, also stressed the importance of outdoor activity and suggested walking for 10-15 minutes when feeling the gloom that humanity has grown accustomed to lately.

Crawford also has recently taken up the hobby of playing the ukulele, taking lessons over her lunch break. She described the experience in one word: “awesome.” Other strategies for recharging could include a bullet journal or coloring book.

Technology has revolutionized lives, but in recent years, and especially in the past few months, it has dominated most humans’ entire existence — diminishing social lives to blue bubbles and quirky captions. Whether relaxing during Zoom, recharging through physical activity, or unwinding through artistic endeavors, it’s become essential to be able to step away from the screen and back into reality; to find a way to be human again at the end of the day.

Fighting off Zoom Fatigue: How the UMD community is coping