eye contact is my cardio.

three seconds. that is the recorded distance. the other person did not notice a thing, which is the part nobody believes.

the eyes are not the problem. the eyes are the treadmill. holding them means running the conversation, tracking the face, timing the nod, and answering the question at the same time, on the same processor.

afterwards there is a recovery period. it looks like staring at a cabinet.

this is not avoidance. it is cardio, and you were never given the training plan.