How to avoid Zoom Fatigue (3 Simple Fixes)
“Just because you can use video doesn’t mean you have to.” — Jeremy Bailenson
Why it works
Jeremy Bailenson (pictured) is a Professor of Communication at Stanford University and the founding director of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab. As one of the world’s leading experts on how digital environments shape the human mind, his research explores the effects of virtual reality, video calls, and other forms of mediated communication on our performance and well-being—and how we can use these tools more intentionally to improve both.
In a landmark 2021 paper, Bailenson systematically defined and explained what he calls Zoom Fatigue—a state of mental, physical, and psychological exhaustion that arises from prolonged exposure to video conferencing. His research reveals that our brains struggle with video calls for several interconnected reasons, notably the constant need to see ourselves on screen, sustain unnatural eye contact at close range, and exaggerate nonverbal cues for the camera. Together, these factors overstimulate the brain and drain our cognitive energy.
The good news is that small, science-backed tweaks can dramatically reduce Zoom Fatigue. Here are 3 simple fixes based on Bailenson’s research and advice.
How to do it
Step 1: Hide self-view
Constantly seeing yourself on screen during video calls is mentally draining. Staring at your own image in a small window creates an “all-day mirror” effect, which is highly unnatural. Bailenson explains: “In the real world, if somebody was following you around with a mirror constantly—so that while you were talking to people, making decisions, giving feedback, getting feedback—you were seeing yourself in a mirror, that would just be crazy.” It heightens self-monitoring, activates self-evaluation circuits in the brain, and increases cognitive load, which can be very taxing.
The fix: hide self-view by turning it off in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or your preferred video chat platform. Doing so allows your mind to relax and makes it easier to stay present, confident, and energized throughout both the meeting and your day. This doesn’t mean switching off your camera—others will still see you—but it removes the constant mirror effect on your end. Here’s how: in Zoom, right-click your video and select Hide Self View; in Microsoft Teams, click View, then More options, and select Hide me; in Google Meet, hover over your video tile in the browser, click More options, and select Hide self view.
Step 2: Step 2: Reduce face size
Too much close-up eye contact can be surprisingly stressful. Both the constant gaze and the oversized faces on screen feel unnatural to our brains. In real-life meetings, eye contact naturally ebbs and flows as people look at the speaker, glance at their notes, or briefly look away. On video calls, however, everyone appears to be staring at everyone else the entire time. Compounding the effect, faces often appear at a distance that would feel uncomfortably close in real life: when someone’s face is that close to ours in real life, our brain reads it as a high-stakes situation that—in the real world—would either lead to intimacy or conflict. “What’s happening, in effect, when you’re using Zoom for many, many hours is that you’re in this hyper-aroused state,” says Bailenson.
The fix: take your video platform out of full-screen mode and shrink the window to reduce the perceived face size. This simple adjustment lowers arousal and stress levels, helping you feel calmer and more in control. I personally set my video chat app to display only the active speaker and place the window at the top center of my screen—keeping it roughly half the screen’s height and one-third of its width. That way, it captures just enough space for natural eye contact without visual strain.
Step 3: Switch to audio-only
Nonverbal communication is far more mentally demanding on video. In regular face-to-face conversations, gestures, posture, and subtle facial expressions happen effortlessly. On camera, however, we must exaggerate these cues to make them visible through a screen. As Bailenson notes, “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.”
The fix: during long video calls, take periodic “audio-only” breaks to let your brain recover. This could mean turning your camera off for a few minutes, standing up, stretching, or walking while continuing to listen. Even brief movement resets attention and restores focus. Personally, I try to take portions of longer meetings “off video” whenever possible. These intentional pauses help me sustain my energy and make my on-camera time feel more natural and focused.
Turning off self-view, shrinking the video window, and taking periodic “audio-only” breaks can make virtual meetings noticeably less tiring, less stressful, and more productive.
If you want to go pro at avoiding Zoom fatigue, choose meetings that are entirely audio-only whenever possible. As Bailenson notes, “Just because you can use video doesn’t mean you have to.” More often than not, a simple phone call is all you need.
The next time you open your video chat app for a day of back-to-back meetings, try these 3 simple fixes—and notice how much lighter and sharper you feel by the end of the day.