Doing the same thing day in and day out for your job can be very draining. Not only do you need to be careful about getting enough movement in your muscles and joints so you don’t live a completely sedentary life while working a desk job, but you also need to know how to protect your eyes if you spend a portion of your day working on a computer or other screen.
Without the right protection, you might find that your eyes are very tired, dry, or sore at the end of the day. This could lead to a lot of issues if not taken care of, so it’s important that you know what you can do to best protect yourself.
To help you with this, here are three tips for protecting your eyes when working on a computer all day.
Keep The Lighting Low
The amount of light you let into your eyes or have around your eyes when working on screens can have a big impact on how straining this activity is. For best results, it’s generally a good idea to keep lighting as low as possible.
According to Dr. Gary Heiting and Dr. Larry K. Wan, contributors to AllAboutVision.com, the low lighting should not only be coming from the backlight of whatever screen or device you’re using, but also from whatever light source you’re using in the room you’re in. Ideally, you should try to avoid harsh indoor lighting or sunlight streaming in when working on computers, as it can throw glare that’s often too much for your sensitive eyes to handle for extended periods of time, like working a full day.
Give Your Eyes A Break
Even if the entirety of your job means spending your time on a computer or other electronic device, you should still try to find spaces in your day when you can give your eyes a quick break from your screen.
One habit you should try building, according to The Mayo Clinic, is to follow the 20-20-20 Rule. With this rule, you avert your eyes from your screen every 20 minutes so you can spend about 20 seconds looking at something that’s roughly 20 feet away from you. By doing this, you’ll be allowing your eyes to rest from their typical place of focus.
Blink More To Moisten Your Eyes
When looking at your screen, especially if you’re very focused on what you’re trying to do or accomplish, it’s common for people to forget to blink as much as they should. However, doing this can be very harmful to your eyes.
To combat this, the American Optometric Association recommends that you try to make a conscious effort to blink more when you’re using a computer or other device. By doing this, you’ll be able to keep your eyes moist and avoid dry or irritated eyes.
If you spend a large portion of your day working on a computer, consider using the tips mentioned above to help protect your eyes.
