As I write in my book, Coaching for Optimal Energy coaches: A guide for executive coaches, recent research looking at brainwave activity conducted by Microsoft Human Factors Lab (2021) has confirmed that stress increases and accumulates during a session of back-to-back virtual meetings, leading to fatigue. But it is not just about the number of meetings – it also suggested that starting a meeting without a break in between led to high stress due to the knowledge that straight away you must change topic and focus on something new in the next meeting.

The research showed that taking a ten-minute break between video calls, in this case using an app for meditation, reduced levels of stress and fatigue. Taking the break allowed the participants to start the next meeting in a more relaxed state, their brains had the chance to ‘reset’ and the impact on brain activity led to higher engagement in the next meeting.

People at work now need to be more conscious about taking breaks for the very reason that they are no longer part of normal life in the workplace and, for those working at home, it is easy to forget to take time out during the day. Clients may want to discuss building breaks into their daily routine with their coach.

In addition, as suggested by the report, is it possible to regularly schedule shorter meetings to allow breaks for all colleagues and for this to become the way that the organisation works?

More about this, further research and what is best to do in a break in Coaching for Optimal Energy: A guide for executive coaches.

Reference

Microsoft (2021) Research proves your brain needs breaks. WTI Pulse Report. available HERE