Jaw Clenching on Video Calls? Meet “Zoom Jaw”

You finish another video call and notice tired cheeks, facial tension, or teeth pressed together. What was your jaw doing while you were focused on the meeting?

In Episode 10 of The Clenching Chronicles Podcast, Randy Clare, President of Hawkeye Group, explores “Zoom jaw”: a nickname for clenching, bracing, or holding facial tension during video calls.

Randy discusses research on video-call fatigue, including self-view, facial effort, camera use, and sitting still. He also makes an important distinction: the fatigue research discussed here does not directly establish jaw clenching during video calls.

The practical focus is awareness. Learn how ordinary call events—unmuting, a screen share, or clicking Leave—can become cues to check your jaw. Randy also explains ClenchAlert’s gentle vibration cue for daytime jaw pressure and shares adjustments you can explore during your workday.

Which calls tend to leave you holding tension: presenting, one-on-ones, or large meetings? Tell us in the comments.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:04 Zoom jaw
01:24 What the pattern means
02:06 Why video calls can be tiring
04:11 What research does not show
04:27 Camera use and fatigue
05:24 Moments worth watching
06:16 How ClenchAlert cues awareness
07:17 Your next-call routine
08:20 When to ask a professional
08:38 Your call-day experiment

Learn more:
https://clenchalert.com

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ClenchAlert is a general wellness awareness tool. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition.