Screen stressors are a modern issue for our eye health. If you’re a student who uses a computer for class, an employee who does a majority of your work on a screen, an avid television watcher, or spend a lot of time on your smartphone, your eyes may be suffering from screen strain. The following are a few remedies that can reduce screen strain:
1. Configure your screen to Dark Text on a White Background
A lack of contrast is a leading cause of screen strain. When you have to lean forward and squint your eyes to read text on your screen, your eyes are suffering. Make sure you maintain an optimal degree of contrast wherever possible.
2. Check that your monitor’s brightness settings match the environment
If you are in a brightly-lit room and your screen is unfocused and dark, it could cause your eyes to get strained due to the constant need to adjust to the lighting conditions. Change your screen brightness settings according to the light conditions of your environment so that your eyes are not forced to work harder than they need to.
3. Maintain a good line of sight for your monitor.
Eye doctors recommend that you set your monitor to a position that is about 7 inches below your horizontal line of sight. This is a great position for your eyes to read and helps to reduce eye strain. Where your monitor is askew or higher, it could cause both eye strain and ergonomic issues for you.
4. Obey the 20-20-20 rule at work to rest your eyes effectively.
A great way to ensure that you are resting your eyes at work is to take a 20-second break for your eyes for every 20 minutes that you are on the computer or staring at an object that is about 20 feet away from you. This is also applicable if you work in a stationary position where you are staring at the same area for long periods of time. Taking a short intermittent break prevents your eyes from becoming stressed which could cause you headaches.
5. Take 5-minute breaks every hour
Another way to make the 20-20-20 rule more effective is to take mandatory breaks of 5 minutes every hour. This small break can be spent in a quiet spot, just sitting down and closing your eyes for about 5 minutes. This will help to reduce the tension in your body, reduce muscular fatigue and also help you to regather your thoughts and feel refreshed for the next period of time.
6. Breathing exercises
Staring at a screen for work typically requires concentration where you have to pay attention to details and avoid missing things. It is important to take deep breaths as often as you can and blink your eyes several times to keep your eyeballs moist. Eye doctors recommend using eye drops if you also suffer from dry eyes. Combine this with the 20-20-20 rule and you will reduce the effects of eye strain.
7. Anti-glare screens are helpful
Anti-glare or anti-reflective screens are a great investment for keeping your eyes safe especially when you work behind a computer screen for most of your day. The screen helps you to reduce the amount of light that gets to your eyes and cuts down the negative effects of screen glare and flickering. Anti-reflective screens are cheap, and you should also speak to your company to provide one for you where possible.
8. Eye drops are great to have
Regularly applying eye drops are a simple yet effective solution to eye stress. The eye drops hydrate your eyes and create a liquid barrier that defends your cornea.
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