By the end of this week I'll have spent 10 hours on zoom calls, which for many people is nothing, but for me, it's WAY more than I've ever done. I've had a few cocktail hours via zoom, but obviously those were with friends and involved alcohol, so how I looked wasn't very stressful. Now I'm in front of strangers, and I definitely can't drink, so I'm realizing how stressful these zoom calls can be...and I've got many, MANY more hours to come.
First I will say, it's hard not to over-analyze yourself. I know there is a feature that allows you to actually hide your own view, but I can't do that yet because I'm still trying to figure out all my weird tics so I can eliminate them before someone else notices. I never noticed how many times I twirled my hair, or went to stretch my neck. Everything is highlighted and during a three hour class I can barely sit still long enough to look normal.
Of course, no one is really looking at me, except for me. Well, and everyone else when I raise my little hand sign and speak out in class because then my face pops up big on the screen and there's no escaping me.
I did find a little check box in the preferences section of Zoom that said "touch up video", and that sounded good. I FOR SURE clicked that before my first Zoom, but truthfully I'm not sure if it helped or not (or I should say, if it did help, I'd REALLY hate to see my picture without touch up).
So I've definitely worn makeup, when maybe otherwise I wouldn't (or at least not more than just mascara). The computer seems to make me look more washed out, is that a thing? I also determined fairly quickly that my simple tee was entirely too boring. You need some color--not too much crazy print--but good color. I felt like between my neutral tee and my entirely beige office background, I was literally a floating head. That can't be the best look.
I've also determined that I need a cup of tea at all times so that I have a prop. Otherwise my hands start moving and it's possible I might scratch my head 10 times in 3 minutes. And for some crazy reason, every time I DO scratch my head it recalls my PTSD from the couple of years when it seemed like lice was going around and around the girls' classroom, so I was hyper sensitive and laser focused to ALL head scratching. To this day if someone says "lice" my head itches. It's obsessive. If I scratch my head for any reason, I think of lice, and then I have to scratch again. See, right now, it itches.
I've watched other people, to see their Zoom tricks, and some people just sit really far back, with the bottom bit of their head getting cut off, and clearly they just don't care. But I can't do that because I can't see anything and sometimes there are PowerPoints and things popped up on the screen. Then there are people who look like they are sitting at a desk in front of someone giving them an interview. Completely erect, straight on, hands clasped in front, full frontal attention. It's a bit much. I want to go for the casual and relaxed, but fully present vibe (oh, and effortlessly gorgeous of course).
After a google search I did come up with the tip that you need to make sure that your camera is slightly above eye level, and never slightly below (bad angle I guess).
I'm going to pick out my Zoom top tonight for my 9 a.m. class tomorrow morning, and I'm thinking it's going to be my fuchsia Velvet tank from last summer that had the three tiers, anyone remember that cutie? I love that color!
I don't have one of these new adorable affirmation bracelets yet, with empowering words...but if I did, I'd be stacking up conquer, breathe, and magical on my wrist. These bracelets are made by a student, in her senior year of high school who decided to do something positive with her otherwise dismal conclusion to senior year. She started a business and is earning money to buy books as she starts her first year in college. I love the initiative and creativity, which is so easy to support! Plus they are adorable on...a nod to the old school ID bracelets, but with fun colors and cool beads.
Signed, ME {lv}
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