If you’ve been doing a lot more videoconferencing since the COVID-19 pandemic began and feel extra exhausted by it, you are not alone. And a new article from Advocate Aurora Health describes a study on the psychological consequences of video meetings.

The Stanford University study suggests four major causes of “Zoom fatigue,” along with ways to reduce their impact:

1. All the close-up eye contact. In an in-person meeting, your eyes wander all over the room, from the speaker to your notes to the wall decor and elsewhere. On Zoom calls, you’re always staring at a face or a lot of faces, which are staring right back at you. That accentuated level of eye contact and in-your-face-ness only takes place in stressful situations in normal life, so it triggers a stress response, which tires you out. Try this: The study recommends reducing the Zoom window size so that so many big faces aren’t looking at you.

2. The “all-day mirror.” Most videoconferencing platforms default to showing your face as well in the chat. Imagine if you had to look at yourself in a mirror for minutes or hours on end during a regular meeting! You can’t help but pay attention to your “reflection,” and that wears on you. Try this: If you can, turn off your self-view when you’re in a video meeting.

3. Reduced mobility. Our movement in a video meeting is even more restricted than at an in-person meeting at a conference table. But somewhat ironically, humans seem to perform better and feel less tired when we can move our bodies around. Try this: If you can adjust your camera to allow you to move around your space a bit more naturally, give it a whirl.

4. Higher cognitive load. Video chats literally take more work than face-to-face conversations. As the professor who led the study puts it: “You’ve got to make sure that your head is framed within the center of the video. If you want to show someone that you are agreeing with them, you have to do an exaggerated nod or put your thumbs up. That adds cognitive load as you’re using mental calories in order to communicate.” Try this: Take audio-only breaks during long video meetings. Don’t just shut off your camera — minimize the Zoom window or turn your body away from the screen as well. Just using your sense of hearing is easier on your brain than trying to listen and also interpret exaggerated or unnecessary visual cues.