Steal the spotlight on Zoom with these five power moves

Tired of sweating through every Zoom call? It's time to turn your anxiety into confidence with these simple, quirky hacks.

Whether it’s a job interview, remote work meeting, virtual therapy, or even a legal hearing – anxiety can be a large monkey to have on your back.

I personally noticed that in the pandemic and until now, I developed a sense of anxiety on video calls that I hadn’t felt before on camera.

Perhaps it was “the always-on” effect; having to juggle between multiple platforms and messengers. I’d also attribute it to “the weird void” feeling when everyone seemed so drained and distracted that it seemed reciprocal.

Even with friends and family members – I remember having a “virtual pub quiz” night with friends and also celebrating my sister's 30th birthday, with eight other family members – it simply felt ill-timed, whenever it happened.

Whenever I have that dreaded Zoom meeting, I usually employ the following tips, even now, as if it were the first time.

Pretend you’re a talk show host or guest

Especially beneficial if you’re leading a meeting, or even still can be passively used if you’re playing a minor role.

If you’re leading with the questions, then treat it like a podcast, as it could be a way of bringing back a sense of confidence and control.

I taught English online during the pandemic and always found that when I mentioned “wow, this lesson is like a podcast,” then the students seemed to open up more, and chime in more with their opinions and less formulaic answers.

Also, by integrating this back and forth style interplay, you allow yourself to talk with someone, instead of talking at them. Pauses will also come more naturally, as there’s nothing worse than talking at the speed of a bullet train.

Make a (dumb) catchphrase or mantra

Obviously there’s nothing to gain from saying this on the call itself, but in your kitchen, before being on camera you could tell yourself “lights, camera, anxiety!” as you’re making coffee.

Personally, I would use coffee mantras to distract the topic at hand. I say out loud to myself “a spoonful of Ethiopian blend” and talk myself through the ritual. I know it sounds mental, but it sure puts those early morning anxiety pangs at bay.

It’s a low-stakes ritual, and as soon as you join the call, you can switch right into the whole “I’m ready to take on the world” sentiment, which will have a noticeable and positive effect.

Set a silly reward for getting through it

This might not sound silly at all, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of gamification. If you’re anxious about the drudgery of a Zoom Call or simply burned out, then gamify a cookie, donut, or even a walk around the block.

No one needs the unravelling of dread before a Zoom call. Creating a dopamine-driven feedback loop will make the task feel less awful.

The human brain loves anticipation, much like training a dog to sit with treats. I used to reward myself with things like naps, reading a chapter of a book, or the song of the moment at half-blast on the Bluetooth speaker.

Actually work on your communication skills

You know the drill here; sit up straight, but also relax your posture. Use gestures and your hands when you’re speaking as if it's like an illustration, besides most of the best TED speakers use their hands.

Eye contact with the camera is a tricky one – look at it with the same ratio you would with someone's eyes – don’t just stare into it, and certainly don’t avoid it altogether.

Be aware of the clarity and the pace of how you speak, you can hardwire yourself to be less anxious if you slow down the pace a bit. You can even make brief notes on what you want to say beforehand, so there’s not too many “errrrrr” moments either.

Also, checking in with your audience is key. You can interact both verbally and in the meeting chat. If I’m feeling a little bit off the pace sometimes, I’ll tag others “@Jenny33” in the chat, as it’s good for building rapport.

Occasionally ask “does that make sense?” or “what are your thoughts on that?” to gauge if everyone's on the same page.

Give others an imaginary backstory

However you cast your colleagues or new participants in your virtual calls entirely depends on how wild your imagination is. It could be as light as thinking Caspar from accounts looks like he had a really good night last night, or that Rita looks like she’s had a couple of canisters of laughing gas.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, you could go for the more outlandish, like picking the person you think would be the most certain to be an MI5 spy.

Just remember to keep this to yourself. Do not tell anyone! Not even at your team-building events.