Thrive Global, the behavior change technology company founded by Arianna Huffington, has teamed up with Zoom Video Communications, Inc. to launch the Thrive Reset app for Zoom, the first in-meeting app that helps users de-stress and prevent meeting fatigue within virtual meetings in real-time. The Thrive Reset app for Zoom launched and is now available in the Zoom App Marketplace.
Sitting through back-to-back Zoom meetings has been one of many difficult experiences of the last 16 months. And the latest research from Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab shows how effective taking even small breaks can be in combating virtual fatigue. By using EEG devices to monitor brainwave activity, the researchers found that when participants took a short break between meetings, their brains showed a decrease in beta waves, which are connected to stress. Additionally, the study showed that back-to-back meetings with no breaks diminished their ability to focus and be engaged. But when participants took breaks to reset, their engagement held steady.
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“When so many are struggling with virtual fatigue, it’s no wonder that Reset is one of the most popular features in our Thrive app. It’s based on neuroscience that shows that we can course-correct from stress in just 60 to 90 seconds,” said Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global. “We’re thrilled that we’re now bringing Reset to Zoom as the first in-meeting app that helps users de-stress and prevent virtual fatigue not just in between meetings, but in real time within Zoom meetings. You can use it at the beginning of a meeting to start out fresh, in the middle to stay focused and present, or at the end to help you recenter before moving on to your next Zoom meeting. And it only takes 60 seconds.”
Zoom Video Communications has been a lifeline during the pandemic, allowing people to work remotely and stay connected to family, friends and co-workers. But as Zoom has become the new office, virtual fatigue has become the newest form of technology-driven burnout. The goal of the Thrive Reset app for Zoom is to help people maximize the transformative technology of Zoom meetings, allowing users to feel less stressed, more connected and even more inspired.
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“Today, when we all work remotely, we have so many meetings and virtual fatigue,” said Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom. “And the biggest problem for everyone is mental health. That’s not our expertise, but that’s why we’re partnering with Thrive, so we can seamlessly embed Reset into the Zoom interface and users can leverage the Reset app to address these issues.”
The Thrive Reset app for Zoom allows users to take breaks not just between meetings, but during meetings. When you open the Thrive Reset app from Zoom’s App menu, you will see a selection of Resets that help you reframe a stressful moment or take a “brain break.” Each 60-second Reset includes a guided breathing bubble that prompts you to inhale, exhale and bring yourself back to center. As the science shows, breathing is a gateway to a range of benefits for both our physical and mental well-being. Focusing on the rising and falling of our breath, even for 60 seconds, activates our parasympathetic nervous system, lowering our cortisol levels. The Thrive Reset app for Zoom has launched with Resets focused on breathing, gratitude, stretching and mindfulness, and we will be adding more in the coming months.
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