Have you been working on your Hotwire Networks hosted website for a while? Are your eyes feeling tired or dry? Maybe your vision is a little soft or blurry? We all do it, work too long at the computer, and our eyes are mush.
Without screens, we blink 15-20 times a minute, which spreads tears and helps keep our eyes from getting irritated and dry. Add screen time, and research shows we blink less than half as often during screen time. Add in all the other factors, blue light, flickering, contrast of background vs. text, and the general glare of screens, and your eyes may be unhappy.
Most of us will not give up our screens, but we can implement some best practices to treat our eyes better.
Best Practices
Get some distance from your screen
Make sure you aren’t sitting too close to your screen! According to WebMD, your screen should be about an arm’s length away from your eyes, and the screen should be angled to be slightly below your eye level. Maintaining good posture and giving yourself ample space will also cut down on eyestrain.
Take short breaks
When it comes to screen time, try to take short breaks from looking at the screen. Doctors recommend following the 20-20-20 rule; taking a break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. In addition to short breaks, you should aim to step away from the computer for a few minutes every couple of hours if possible. Of course, this applies to your mobile devices as well!
Take care of your eyes
If your eyes start to feel particularly dry and irritated, artificial tears may be a great option.
If you wear glasses, make sure you always wear them when working at your computer. Also, continue to get eye exams regularly, and let your doctor know you spend a lot of time at the computer. They may be able to adjust your prescription or offer you blue light glasses or anti-glare lenses. If you wear contacts, consider wearing your glasses when using your computer occasionally.
Lighting and filters
Ensure the room you work in is brightly lit and that the air is not too dry. Dim your computer if it’s too bright, add some additional lighting, and bring in a humidifier if you need to.
A matte screen filter could make your computer easier on the eyes as it will reduce glare. Matte screen filters are available for all types of devices.
Device Adjustments
You can also adjust some minor settings on your computer to reduce eyestrain. Here are some options for device settings.
- Dimming your device, so it isn’t too bright will help relax your eyes.
- Lowering the color temperature can reduce the amount of blue light your device gives off, a significant stressor for your eyes.
- Raising contrast and making text larger will make things easier to see and read, reducing eyestrain.
- If you can, raising your device’s refresh rate will cause your screen to flicker less, allowing your eyes to relax a bit more.
Plan the Breaks
Overall, the best thing you can do is find ways to take breaks from the screen. Not only does stepping away from the computer allow you to rest your eyes, but it also gives your brain and body a break. If you are at the office, try to spend any breaks away from your computer. The change of scenery will help refresh eyes.
If you are working from home, plan to break up your time incrementally and take breaks away from your computer. You can even force yourself to do small tasks somewhere else in the house to get you away from your desk. Your eyes, body, and brain will thank you.