Why Anxiety Can Feel Worse on Video Calls and How Online Therapy Accounts for That
For many people, video calls quietly intensify anxiety.
You might notice your heart rate increase before logging on, a tightness in your chest while watching your own face on the screen, or a sense of pressure to stay focused, responsive, and composed for the entire call. Even people who manage anxiety well in other settings often find video interactions surprisingly draining.
If this is your experience, it does not mean you are doing something wrong. There are real nervous system reasons why anxiety can feel worse on video calls, and online anxiety therapy is designed to work with those realities rather than dismiss them.
Why Video Calls Place Extra Demand on the Nervous System
Video calls ask the nervous system to do more than it would during in-person interaction.
Your brain is constantly interpreting facial expressions, tone of voice, micro-delays, and eye contact through a screen. Small glitches or delays can create uncertainty that the nervous system registers as potential threat, even if you are not consciously aware of it.
At the same time, many platforms display your own image continuously. This increases self-monitoring and can amplify anxiety, especially for people who are prone to self-criticism, perfectionism, or hypervigilance.
Anxiety and Sensory Overload Often Reinforce Each Other
For many people, anxiety on video calls is not purely cognitive.
Extended screen time, visual stimulation, background noise, and the demand to stay visually engaged can create sensory overload. When the nervous system becomes overstimulated, anxiety responses such as tension, shallow breathing, irritability, or shutdown often follow.
These experiences are closely linked. Sensory overload can heighten anxiety, and anxiety can make sensory input feel harder to tolerate.
The Nervous System Cost of Being “On” the Whole Time
In most in-person conversations, attention naturally shifts. People look away, change posture, or pause without it being noticed.
On video calls, there is often an unspoken expectation to remain visually present and engaged at all times. This sustained alertness can keep the nervous system in a heightened state, leaving people feeling depleted once the call ends.
Over time, this pattern contributes to symptoms such as exhaustion, irritability, and avoidance.
If Video Calls Increase Anxiety, Why Online Therapy Is Different
At this point, many people wonder whether online therapy might make anxiety worse rather than better.
That concern makes sense.
Online anxiety therapy, however, is structured very differently from work meetings or social video calls. Therapy is not performance-based. There is no requirement to stay visually engaged, respond quickly, or manage impressions.
The pace is intentionally slower, and the focus is on supporting regulation rather than productivity.
How Online Anxiety Therapy Accounts for Video Call Anxiety
Online anxiety therapy explicitly takes video-related stress into account.
Therapists may invite practical adjustments such as turning off self-view, changing posture, or orienting to the room. They may slow the rhythm of conversation, check in about physical sensations, or build in pauses to support nervous system settling.
Rather than pushing through discomfort, therapy works with what shows up in the body in real time.
A Common Experience in Online Anxiety Therapy
Many clients describe a pattern like this.
They feel tense and self-conscious during work video calls, but notice that therapy sessions feel different. Over time, the lack of performance pressure, combined with pacing and relational safety, allows their body to settle more than expected.
This contrast often becomes meaningful information. It highlights how much anxiety is shaped by demand and evaluation rather than by the screen itself.
Reducing Performance Pressure in Therapy Sessions
In online anxiety therapy, there is no expectation to perform.
You do not need to maintain eye contact, fill silence, or present yourself a certain way. Pauses, uncertainty, and even discomfort are all welcome parts of the process.
When performance pressure decreases, the nervous system has more room to regulate, making it easier to notice and work with anxiety rather than being overwhelmed by it.
Using the Online Format as Information, Not a Barrier
Interestingly, the way anxiety shows up on video calls can become useful in therapy.
Noticing when tension increases, when avoidance urges appear, or when shutdown occurs provides insight into how anxiety operates in other areas of life as well. Online therapy allows these patterns to be explored gently and safely as they arise.
When Online Anxiety Therapy Can Be Especially Helpful
Online anxiety therapy can be particularly supportive for people who:
Experience social or performance-related anxiety
Feel easily overstimulated or fatigued
Notice strong physical anxiety symptoms
Prefer being in a familiar environment while working through difficult material
For these individuals, online therapy often reduces baseline stress rather than adding to it.
Online Anxiety Therapy Across British Columbia
At Tidal Trauma Centre, we offer online anxiety therapy across British Columbia, supporting adults through trauma-informed, relational, and body-based approaches.
Clients connect with us from Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Prince George, and rural communities throughout BC, accessing consistent care without the strain of travel.
Supporting Anxiety Without Adding More Demand
Anxiety often intensifies when the nervous system feels watched, evaluated, or rushed.
Online anxiety therapy is designed to reduce these pressures, not reinforce them. With thoughtful pacing and attention to regulation, the online format can become a space where anxiety is understood rather than avoided.
Contact us or fill out a New Client Form to be matched with one or more of our therapists. If you’re ready, book a free consult or appointment.
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Video calls increase cognitive load, self-monitoring, and sensory demand. These factors can heighten anxiety, especially for people with sensitive nervous systems.
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Not necessarily. Therapy sessions are paced differently and designed to support regulation rather than performance.
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Avoidance is a common anxiety response. Therapists expect this and can help you work with it rather than pushing through alone.
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Yes. Adjustments such as turning off self-view or changing positioning can reduce nervous system demand.
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Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, or mental health advice. It is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.