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Have you been a victim of eye strain? Our eyes are one of our most precious commodities; our window to everything we love and cherish. Imagine your favorite sights. You may think of snowfall, your child, or a picturesque ocean scene. I bet you didn’t think about a spreadsheet or an email from your boss or any of those things that you spend so much time looking at on a computer screen every day. But, chances are that you spend a bulk of your hours each day looking at just that; your monitor, laptop, and smartphone.
Spending the number of hours that each of us tends to spend staring at a computer can take a toll on our eyesight. Have you ever felt your eyes getting weak? Things start looking a little fuzzy or your eyes start to water? Then you’ve been a victim of eye strain. Fortunately, you can still get everything you need done on your computer or smartphone and avoid straining your precious peepers.
1. Moderation To Reduce Eye Strain
How many hours do you spend on your computer or phone on an average day? How about a really long day? Wow, didn’t seem like a lot until you started counting, huh? The most important thing to avoid eye strain is knowing when to say when. It’s okay to take a break, and not just for your eyes.
Stepping away from something you’ve been glaring at for hours can not only give your eyes a break but also your mind. You’ll find that getting a few minutes of fresh air will keep your eyes and mind focused on the task at hand. A lot of us leave our work day where we have spent countless hours on a computer and come home to do what? Yep, you guessed it – get back on a computer! If it isn’t the computer, it’s a phone or tablet. Break your bad habits and give your eyes a break. We could all benefit from enjoying hobbies and activities offline. Switch up your routine and clock less hours online.
2. Health
An important note to healthy eyesight is ensuring that you are getting regular eye examines and seeing a doctor for any concerns that you have regarding your vision. If you have been prescribed glasses or contacts for your vision, then you should always take the advice of your doctor and wear glasses as recommended to prevent further issues. Another interesting fact about your health is the relation to healthy eyes and exercising. This study showed a link between regular exercise and healthy vision. That’s a two for one!
3. Equipment
There are a few ways to customize your equipment to keep the amount of strain on your eyes to a minimum. Using an LCD monitor, adjusting the brightness and text size on your screen, and even ensuring that the lighting in your home or office is adjusted are great ways to get started. There are also additional apps that you can download to make your screen more comfortable on the eyes. An app such as F.lux will adjust the glow of your monitor (or iPhone) based on the time of day. You can also look into more in-depth applications such as Eye Pro for Windows or Time Out for MAC users. These products will help keep you aware of when a break is needed or even get you blinking more.
4. Exercise
It’s important to exercise your eyes throughout the day. A simple trick is to use the 20-20-20 rule. Every twenty minutes focus on an object twenty feet away for at least twenty seconds. This will help keep your eyes from getting weak and tired by working them in a productive way that gets your focus off of the screen. It’s also important to blink often. If you feel that your eyes are growing tired or things seem a little cloudy try blinking twice as often as you normally would or rapidly for five to ten seconds. Just make sure you don’t stare at your co-workers while doing so.
Looking for more great tips? Check out our other blogs here!