Anxiety over Zoom course. What to do

[Fruity25]

I’ve signed up for a course and for some reason I thought it would be one to one but it’s actually all online via zoom 5 hours per day. It’s Zoom Classroom so there will be other learners who I don’t know on there. I’m starting to feel really anxious now as I don’t really like being on camera and especially for that length of time everyday for 4 weeks. Any tips of how to feel less nervous?

Is there any specific thing that makes you anxious about being on camera?

I'm not the biggest fan but have similar learning set ups, the thing I focus on is that no one is going to be looking at my camera screen because we're all trying to learn - most people (myself included!) minimise / pop to the side the "classroom" videos so that the teachers presenting screen takes up the main screen. I genuinely couldn't point out any participants from any of the courses I've done, I don't think I've ever given more than a cursory look if we're going introductions to each other.

Sit with your back to the light so they can't get a good look at you? Leave camera off and say it's not working?

I would just keep my camera off apart from intros and times when I needed to interact with other learners e.g. break out rooms or whatever.

Thank you. I think it’s because it’s not something I’ve done before so I’m not sure how it works and I do have some social anxiety so I’m feeling a bit worried about it. I tend to worry too much about how I’m coming across etc

What do you usually do to help you cope with anxiety?

There's a good chance the teacher will be sharing their screen/presentation
When that happens, anyone else is typically in a small box to the side and all the focus is on the presentation

Keep your camera off. Say it's broken if you like!

I run weekly courses on Zoom. I can promise you that your experience is common but that also nobody really is looking at you specifically. It may help to turn your own view so that you are not actually looking at yourself.
I would discourage you from turning your camera off unless absolutely necessary (and do contact organisers to explain why you are doing it, if you must). We always say that you wouldn't turn up to in-person meeting with a paper bag over your head - turning your camera off is the equivalent of that in makes teaching very difficult as well as impacts on others. Additionally, there are privacy concerns as, if your camera is off, we don't know who else is in the room with you.
Ultimately, the only way to work through anxiety is distress tolerance skills not avoidance.

I used to feel really anxious getting on camera. It's very normal to feel this way.

Some things that helped me:

• remember that everyone is fairly self conscious (or vain!). When not actively learning, they will spend most of their time looking at themselves on camera.

• as with most things we are anxious about, the only thing that'll cure it completely is going for it and doing it lots. You really do become desensitised.

• blur you're background if you're self conscious about your learning environment.

• familiarise yourself with how to mute, raise your hand and turn off your camera etc in advance. Stay on mute unless addressing the group. Being able to do these confidently means you can step away if it is getting too much.

• remember, especially when not in a professional set up, there is a high chance that most of your peers will not be participating on large double screens etc. So chances are that you are going to be a tiny square on their screen.

I’ve done a course online and I felt the same as you. But I found that a lot of people switched their cameras off, even for break out discussions, which I found rude and even more uncomfortable as I was being asked to converse with blank screens. If I did it again I would ask the tutor to request cameras on so that everyone is on a level.