How Staring at Our Faces on Zoom Is Impacting Our Self-Image

If you’re experiencing more anxiety over perceived flaws than usual in this time, you’re not alone. That being said, it’s important to acknowledge the impulse to obsess, as well as subvert negative thinking patterns as much as possible. “Over-focusing on your appearance for prolonged periods of time can actually distort your perceptions, so that you’re no longer really seeing yourself clearly,” explains Weingarden. “This is especially true when you look at your appearance up close and fixate on an area of concern for a prolonged period of time, rather than looking more holistically at your full reflection. That body part of concern can start to appear very blown out of proportion to you.”

As we continue to navigate the new normal of socializing in every way via video chat, here experts provide a few helpful tips to transform negative thoughts and improve self-image.

Consider What You Care About—Beneath the Surface

“Often we over value looks and end up believing that our self worth is based on looks,” says Buchannan. To counter this, he recommends reminding yourself of the alternative characteristics that you truly value about yourself, and writing them down. “Writing down the sorts of qualities you want to cultivate in your various roles, such as as a friend, partner, citizen, professional and human, as well as the sorts of virtues and traits you are grateful that you have,” he instructs. “These are the things that matter most, how you look is only a tiny part of who you really are.”

Practice Reshifting Your Focus

“If your appearance-based behaviors, like fixing your appearance before work calls, ensuring you have the best lighting, distance, and angle from the camera during calls, are taking up more and more of your time, work on reducing these behaviors little by little,” says Weingarden. One way to do this? When you notice yourself becoming distracted on video calls by worrying about your appearance, or comparing it to others, practice gently redirecting your focus back onto the content of the call. “Notice instead who is speaking and what they are talking about,” instructs Weingarden, encouraging the use of minfulness as a tool. “You may have to redirect your attention a bunch of times in one call at first, but it will get easier the more you practice shifting your focus.” According to Buchannan, you can also utilize functions in Zoom, and other programs like it, to turn off self view, or use a post-it note over the self view if easier. It may not be as simple as out of sight, out of mind, but it’s a start.

Spend Less Time Looking at Yourself. Period.

“The conscious mind can pay attention to one thing at a time, and what we choose to pay attention to goes about creating a sense of salience and importance for us,” says Buchannan. Therefore, if you want to reduce how important you think your appearance is, it’s helpful to cut down time that is body image focused, including looking in the mirror, capturing selfies, and seeking reassurance from others about your appearance, he emphasizes.

Scroll with a Healthy Skepticism

“When you’re browsing social media, view others’ photos with a healthy skepticism,” says Weingarden. “Ask yourself if the photo is likely to truly reflect what that person looked like in the moment, or if it was more likely hand-selected, edited, and doctored up before being posted.” Another way to preserve a more positive self-image and make room for healthier habits is to limit screen time. “There is a great deal of evidence showing that the more time people spend on social media the more dissatisfied we are with our own lives in general, and our body image in particular,” says Buchannan. “In fact, we know that, in general, 30 minutes per day on a smartphone legitimately enhances happiness for most people, but after that 30-minute mark happiness tends to reduce.”

Seek Extra Support If NeededIf you’re feeling particularly distressed by your appearance, Buchannan recommends seeking support from a psychologist or therapist that specializes in body image to help guide you through the process of recalibrating and transforming your thoughts. “It can truly change people’s perspective and improve their lives immensely,” he says. There are also an array of online support groups on offer amid the coronavirus pandemic, and you can find more information on the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation’s website.