Due to the coronavirus, 2020 has seen a massive rise in the number of people working from their homes. It is safer and comfortable and saves a whole lot of time, which otherwise would have been spent on commuting. You don’t have to dress up in formals, you don’t have to sit at your desk and you don’t work to confine yourself to a rigid work time. However, studies have shown that this has resulted in a lot of people spending a lot more time working. Thus leading to increased screen time, resulting in the deterioration of the eye.
Read along to find out our tested and proven tips on how to reduce eye strain when working from home.
Any kind of extended visual activity can cause strain on your eyes. Therefore, you can imagine how damaging it must be to stare at your computer screen for hours together. This can often result in dry eyes, eye fatigue, headaches or even deteriorated vision, in some cases. Worry not, because we are here with the 10 most effective tips to reduce eye strain when working from home, that will help you tackle this problem like a piece of cake.
Take a look at our top 10 tips to reduce eye strain when working from home
- Keep Your Device At Proper Distance
A lot of people use their digital devices by placing them close to the eyes. Such people are often at a higher risk of developing eye problems, especially combing this with long hours of work from home. No matter what the device is, make it a point to keep it at a distance of about 50-100 cms away from your eyes.
- Adjust Your Screen Position
The positioning of your screen is more important than you think. In fact, it plays a major role in how your eyes feel after a long workday. While working on your computer, make sure that it is placed slightly below your eye level. This will ensure that there is no stress caused on your eyes and also prevent you from needing to bend your neck or shoulder.
- Adjust Your Lighting
The lighting of your room matters more than you think. Inadequate lighting can cause a huge amount of strain on your eyes. However, excess lighting can stress your eyes and cause pain or often lead to vision problems. Which is why it is important to make sure that the lighting is just right. It is easy to figure out what the right amount of lighting is. Just make sure that your eyes feel comfortable and you can see without any issues.
- Take Enough Breaks
While working from home, one of the most important things to keep in mind is to take sufficient breaks. Working continuously for long hours can not only affect your eyes but even cause neck and shoulder pain. Therefore short and frequent breaks are your biggest blessing. Breaks as short as about 4-5 minutes can go a long way in protecting youtube eyes and reducing discomfort. Additionally, it also improves your focus as well as productivity. This is a total win-win situation! So don’t forget to take breaks.
- Practise Eye Exercises
Just like the rest of your body, your eyes need exercise too. Your eyes have muscles too which need proper exercising to stay strong and healthy. One such simple exercise that you can follow while working from home is the 20-20-20 rule. Look away from your screen after every 20 minutes and focus on any object that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds. As simple as that! Do this often to find surprising results.
- Don’t Forget to Blink
This one is our easiest tip to reduce eye strain when working from home. Blinking is one of the most natural things that we do without even thinking about it. However, did you know that a lot of people forget to blink while working for long hours? This can often lead to a number of problems such as dry eyes, itchy eyes and fluctuating vision. Stay away from all these issues by just blinking. It’s as simple as that.
- Use Bigger Fonts
The size of your fonts can often play a role in how your eyes feel. The smaller the font, the greater the strain it causes on your eyes. This is because smaller fonts require greater focus while reading them, thus causing your eyes to strain. So adjust the font as much as possible while reading long documents.
- Don’t skip your glasses
If you have prescription glasses, skipping them while working is literally the worst thing you could do to your eyes. Simply put, prescription glasses help you see better, reducing the strain on your eyes. Failing to do so can result in further deterioration of your vision forever. So why take all the risk? Just wear your glasses.
- Use Computer Glasses
Computer glasses are often recommended to reduce glare, eye strain and headaches caused by looking at computer screens. They come with anti-reflective coating that helps reduce glare and increase comfort while working for long hours. If this is an issue you often face, then it is worth giving a try after consulting your eye doctor.
- Schedule Yearly Eye Exams
Why visit an eye doctor when you have perfectly good eyesight right? Wrong! There are many eye-related problems that aren’t often noticeable to us right away. A comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist or ophthalmologist can detect eye problems before they steal your vision. Therefore it is best to have annual eye exams to make sure that your eyes are perfect.
Prasad Netralaya is Mangalore and Udupi’s leading eye care centre and the ideal place for you to get a Cataract Eye Surgery. Got questions? Call us at +91 9513596565 or book an appointment if you wish to visit in person.