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Zoom Time Tracking Methods to Combat „Zoom Fatigue” & Burnout

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Zoom time tracking methods to combat „zoom fatigue” & burnout

Another Zoom meeting. Oh, man. Wouldn’t it be great to have a Zoom time tracking app by your side so you can figure out exactly how much of your day has been spent nodding politely and saying, “Sorry, I didn’t catch that? Can you please repeat?”

Just think about it.

We are now all members of the “Is this thing on?” society, and we are so used to it that we don’t even recognize we deal with Zoom fatigue and burnout.

And sure, Zoom is pretty useful for team huddles, project updates, and virtual happy hours (don’t even get me started on those). But after the 30th time your coworker says, “You’re on mute”, I bet your brain starts spinning. The emotional damage of too many Zoom meetings is REAL…

… which is why I highly recommend you implement a Zoom time tracker to avoid zooming yourself to death.

And I’m not talking about surveillance methods and Big Brother-ish apps.

No one needs to know how many times they have nodded in agreement (or rolled their eyes?) during a meeting.

I’m talking about a tool that tracks the exact number of minutes you spend in Zoom calls so you can decide when to unglue yourself from the screen and actually start blinking for a change.

So, this article dives into efficient ways to track your Zoom meetings so you can save energy and be more mindful about how you use your time.

Let’s roll.

Attending a Zoom meeting

Why should you use a Zoom time tracker?

Because you are probably stuck in the grind.

If you are a Nipsey Hussle fan, you know what I mean (go listen to Stucc in the Grind right now!). 😉

If you are not, let me explain it in the shortest way possible: your brain is tired, your back is hurting, and your camera-ready smile looks like you are being held hostage. That’s why.

If you don’t track your time in Zoom meetings, you will burn out. Think about it.

How many hours have you spent in meetings that could’ve been emails? Way too many.

How many quick check-ins turned into 2-hour meeting sessions? Probably more than expected.

How many back-to-back calls have you had without any breaks (not even a sip of water)? Can’t count?

Yep. That’s called meeting creep, and it’s not healthy.

With a Zoom time tracker, you can see where your precious minutes are going and have the courage to say mid-meeting, “You know what? I think this meeting should've been a short Slack message. This meeting’s over.”

The way I see it, it’s not just about saving time; it’s about saving yourself from unhealthy habits. Your screen time is probably way more than you can imagine, and I bet you are an expert in context switching and multitasking (don’t get excited; that’s not a good thing!).

Tracking your time in Zoom can help you make the necessary changes, giving you room to breathe and take the necessary breaks.

Your brain and sanity will thank you.

Benefits of video conferencing time tracking

By now, I’m sure you understand that tracking time in Zoom is necessary.

If you’re someone who loves a good bulleted list, here’s a breakdown of all the pros of using a Zoom time tracking app:

  • You’ll know where your time goes. A time tracking app can show you how much of your workday is spent on video calls vs. actual work.
  • You’ll say “goodbye” to Zoom fatigue. By tracking how long you’re spending in meetings, you’ll know when it’s time to cut back or reschedule. (Or decline an unnecessary meeting invite!)
  • You’ll take more breaks. A Zoom time tracker can help you schedule breaks between meetings so you can step away and clear your head.
  • You’ll boost productivity. When you know how much of your time is spent in meetings, you can plan your day better and ensure you get actual work done.
  • You’ll work smarter, not longer hours. Time tracking helps you track your day’s structure, making it easier to shut the laptop and log off at a reasonable hour.
  • You’ll become a productive meeting host. When you use a time tracking app, you’re more likely to schedule shorter meetings and avoid unnecessary back-to-back calls.
  • You’ll support your mental health. With a time tracking app, you won’t overschedule or overcommit.
  • You’ll understand your working patterns. With a time tracking app, you’ll spot patterns, like which times of day you’re most productive and when you should avoid scheduling meetings.
Scheduling shorter Zoom meetings to maximize productivity

How to track time in Zoom meetings

Tracking Zoom meetings shouldn’t be a complicated process.

You should be able to Zoom away as much as you want while a time tracking app silently captures all your time in meetings.

In my search for solutions, I’ve found four different types of tools that could be just what you’re looking for:

  1. The first one is the all-in-one solution.
  2. The second is a native Zoom app.
  3. The third one is a well-known time tracking app that integrates with Zoom.
  4. The fourth one is an independent app, sort of a hidden gem.

Here are those four tools that can fit in your workflow and help you track time while video conferencing.

#1 Memtime

🏆 Why it’s number one: Memtime can seamlessly track time in ALL video conferencing apps.

Ha, you saw that one coming, didn't ya?

Well, excuse me for being a bit biased but that’s only because Memtime works.

It’s a no-nonsense, seamless app that gets the job done.

No AI involved. No manual timer or manual input needed. No overwhelming features or notifications.

Our app runs quietly in the background, tracking all your computer activity一including Zoom meetings一and displaying it in a chronological timeline in 1-60 minute intervals.

Here’s Memtime capturing my Zoom updating itself when I first opened the app:

Memtime capturing time in Zoom

Additionally, here’s a list that proves Memtime is the One Zoom time tracker you should use:

  • It does the job of tracking time for you, while you work.
  • It tracks your time in all video conferencing apps (including MS Teams, Google Meet, Skype, etc.), offline tools, browsers, and documents.
  • It can capture the time on your phone calls if they are made using VOIP services like sipgate, pascom, and FRITZ!Box.
  • Memtime is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • There’s no complex setup. Just create an account in less than 10 seconds, download Memtime, and resume working like you normally would.
  • Your data is available only to you and stored offline, on your device.

Sounds like a good deal? If so, start your two-week free trial; you don’t even have to type in your credit card info.

#2 The Timer app by Zoom

Timer app by Zoom

🥈 Why it takes second place: The Timer is a native Zoom app, and it’s always worth giving native apps a try.

As you probably know, Zoom has its own marketplace. And within that marketplace, there’s the Timer app that tracks time in meetings.

This app is different from all the other tools on this list because it keeps meeting participants informed about the timer feature. The timer appears in a video, and every participant can see it in the top right corner of the meeting window.

Here are some other features worth noting:

  • You can use audio alerts to notify you when the time is up.
  • A countdown appears on your video file, and you can display the timer for all participants or just yourself.
  • There’s a stopwatch that tracks your Zoom time.
  • The app is available for Zoom desktop clients, for Windows and macOS.

Overall, I’d say that the app does track Zoom time properly; it’s intuitive to use, and you don’t need to do much to manage your Zoom time tracking.

#3 TimeCamp

TimeCamp app

🥉 Why it takes third place: The TimeCamp app requires you to use a manual timer and is more team- and business-oriented.

TimeCamp is a desktop and mobile app that comes with a start/stop timer.

It also offers a semi-automatic tracking option, meaning you can use keyword-based time tracking to turn manual tracking into an automatic one. Basically, you need to set keywords, and their automated tracker will log time to tasks containing those keywords.

According to TimeCamp, the tool captures time in Zoom automatically; the app works in the background, capturing your Zoom time. The data is visible in your timesheet in the TimeCamp web panel, and you can review time, create reports, and issue invoices for clients.

Here’s a list of TimeCamp’s features worth mentioning:

  • It’s a tool created for businesses and incorporates employee timesheets, invoicing, and payroll.
  • It can give you reports to help with your time usage, productivity, and costs.
  • It offers features for managing employee time off, including vacations and sick leave.
  • Managers can assign tasks, monitor team progress, and oversee time tracking across the organization.
  • TimeCamp allows you to track time when you are offline, syncing the data when an internet connection is available again.
  • All TimeCamp data is stored in the cloud.

Overall, TimeCamp is a robust tool that offers detailed time tracking. It could work for you if you're looking for a more comprehensive business app and a tool that relies on manual and semi-automatic tracking.

#4 Timing

4️⃣ Why it takes fourth place: Timing tracks Zoom meetings automatically and provides a notification after a call ends, asking if you’d like to log that time.

Timing, just like Memtime, automatically tracks your Zoom meetings without needing start/stop timers or plugins. It automatically detects when a Zoom call has ended and offers to record that time.

It records time spent in video calls and syncs and adds it to the timeline, if you want to.

Here are some other Timing features:

  • The Timing app also tracks time in other apps, offering drag-and-drop categorization for tasks.
  • You can view your time logs and add manual entries for offline work and team collaboration.
  • Your data is yours only; no personal data is shared with others.

Overall, Timing is a solid option for automatic Zoom meeting tracking with its post-call logging feature.

Wrapping up

I hope this article convinced you there’s no such thing as “Zoom doom”. But hey, if it didn’t, at least you know you should use a time tracker to see exactly how much of your life is accumulating into hours spent on video calls.

Jokes aside, I firmly believe you can stop your brain from melting at meetings simply by using a Zoom time tracker.

Now, which one should you choose?

My vote goes to Memtime. With Memtime, you’re in control. Not your team lead. Not your high-level manager. You.

You’ll know when to hit the “End Meeting” button.

You’ll regain your productivity, mental health, and sanity. 

And who knows? You might even become a master of Zoom meetings (not just a prisoner of them). 🙂

Aleksandra Doknic
Aleksandra Doknic

Aleksandra Doknic is a copywriter and content writer with six years of experience in B2B SaaS and e-commerce marketing. She's a startup enthusiast specializing in topics ranging from technology and gaming to business and finance. Outside of work, Aleksandra can be found walking barefoot in nature, baking muffins, or jotting down poems.

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