Asking to keep your camera off in meetings
The call has been running for a while. Your own face sits in a small square next to everyone else's, and the day already feels used up.
Three things come up again and again: camera off with chat open, a written agenda and notes, and breaks between calls. Workplace guidance mentions written agendas, notes and breaks, and an autistic specialist quoted in the news mentions optional cameras [1][2][3]. Below are the ideas and some sentences you can borrow and change. One ask is enough to start, and you do not owe a reason for any of them.
What helps with video meeting fatigue?
An autistic inclusion specialist is quoted saying optional cameras are an adjustment people can ask for [1]. Understood lists a written agenda before a meeting, flexible break times and captions [2]. The National Autistic Society (NAS) lists a written summary after spoken instructions and shorter, more frequent breaks [3].
Workplace rules differ between countries. These pages come from the UK and the US.
Why do camera-on calls tire people?
In a 2021 field experiment with 103 employees at one company, camera-on days were linked to more tiredness than camera-off days [4].
A 2023 survey of nearly 10,000 people found that longer sessions, fewer breaks and seeing your own picture all went with more tiredness [5]. In a 2019 interview study, autistic adults described what they need in video calls [6].
These studies are about working adults in general, so they are background, not proof for autistic or ADHD people. The camera-off idea rests on them and on views quoted in the news [1].
What can you say to keep the camera off?
Without a reason:
"I'll keep my camera off for this meeting."
To a meeting host or the group, at the start:
"I follow along more easily with my camera off. I can add in chat if something comes up."
To a manager, ahead of a regular meeting:
"Could I keep my camera off in our team calls? I can write in chat or send notes afterwards."
Ideas differ between people. One ADHD writer in ADDitude describes switching from gallery view to the speaker and turning video off during snack breaks [7]. Camera-off is one option among several.
How can the load drop with the camera on?
Some people keep the camera on and change what is on the screen.
- Speaker view instead of a grid of faces, as the ADHD writer describes [7]
- Hiding your own picture, if the video tool has a setting for it. Seeing your own image went with more tiredness in the survey above [5]
- Moving, standing, walking around or shifting position in the seat, if that works for you and the meeting allows it. This is Mindum's own idea
Can you ask for an agenda or written notes?
Understood suggests sharing a written agenda before a meeting [2]. An autistic leadership coach quoted in the news suggests labelling agenda items as discussion, brainstorm or decision, and allowing written input before and after meetings [1].
For afterwards, NAS lists a written summary [3]. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) lists minutes of meetings and permission to use a recorder [8]. The ADHD writer records meetings, with permission, to refer back to them [7]. Understood also lists captions or live transcription for video meetings [2].
Sentences to say:
"Could the agenda come in writing beforehand?"
"Could someone send a short written summary after the call?"
Whether recording is allowed depends on the workplace and the country, so asking first keeps it simple:
"Is it all right if I record the meeting for my own notes?"
More on written questions is in asking for questions in writing at work.
What can happen between back-to-back calls?
Longer sessions and fewer breaks went with more tiredness in the survey [5]. Guidance lists shorter, more frequent breaks [3], flexible break times [2] and a modified break schedule [8].
In practice, that can be a gap between two meetings, a call that ends a little early, or a break in a long call. A sentence for it:
"Could we leave a gap before the next meeting? I'd like a short break to stretch."
NAS also lists a meeting room for when quiet is needed [3]. Noise in an open-plan office or cafe covers sound at work, and different kinds of tired covers the tiredness that remains afterwards.
What if the team expects cameras on?
Some teams expect to see faces. A few options people use:
"Could I have my camera on at the start and off after that?"
"I'd like to join with audio and chat. I'll send my input in writing afterwards."
"Could we make cameras optional in our meetings?"
If cameras stay on, speaker view and hiding your own picture, above, still apply. If a conversation about a meeting gets longer, sentences for leaving early or needing space has more wording to borrow.
About this article
- The ideas come from guidance (NAS, Understood, JAN), a news article quoting autistic professionals, an ADDitude essay and three studies. The sentences to say are Mindum's own wording. The three studies were read from their abstracts or summaries.
Sources
- Bussewitz C. Simple ways to make meetings work better for employees on the autism spectrum. Associated Press, via The Press Democrat. 23 April 2026. pressdemocrat.com
- Understood. 32 examples of workplace accommodations. 12 October 2020, modified 13 February 2023. understood.org
- National Autistic Society. What support can I get at work as an autistic person? Undated page. autism.org.uk
- Shockley KM, Gabriel AS, Robertson D, Rosen CC, Chawla N, Ganster ML, Ezerins ME. The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings: a within-person field experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology. 2021;106(8):1137-1155. doi:10.1037/apl0000948 (abstract only)
- Fauville G, Luo M, Queiroz ACM, Lee A, Bailenson JN, Hancock J. Video-conferencing usage dynamics and nonverbal mechanisms exacerbate Zoom fatigue, particularly for women. Computers in Human Behavior Reports. 2023. doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100271 (abstract only)
- Zolyomi A, Begel A, Waldern JF, Tang J, Barnett M, Cutrell E, McDuff D, Andrist S, Morris MR. Managing stress: the needs of autistic adults in video calling. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CSCW). 2019. doi:10.1145/3359236 (abstract only)
- Ungar E. Zoom and the ADHD brain: video conferencing challenges. ADDitude. Updated 9 May 2025. additudemag.com
- Job Accommodation Network. Executive functioning deficits. Undated page. askjan.org
By Mindum. An app to track and regulate emotions, energy, and focus.
