Reduce Eye Strain While Working From Home

Working from home, of course, results in a very different work-life balance. Previously, you could have gone for a stroll on your lunch break or sat and talked with a coworker; now, you might be spending a lot of time in front of the screen. However, it is critical that you also take care of your eyes. Read some of our tips on how you can reduce eye strain while working from home.

How to Reduce Eye Strain

Spending less time in front of your computer appears to be the simplest treatment for digital eye strain, but if you work from home, this may not be an option. If you have no option but to spend eight hours a day in front of a computer, there are certain steps you can do to give your eyes a breather and decrease the negative influence of the screen.

Maintain Good Posture

You may be unaware that your posture and eyes are linked, but keeping a healthy seating position while working is the first line of defence against eye strain. Sit at your computer with your feet flat on the floor and your wrists slightly lifted, rather than resting on the keyboard. Your screen should be placed just below your line of sight.

The computer should be positioned for a slightly downward stare. It is easier on the eyes than gazing straight across or upwards, and it helps bring the eyelid down and eliminates the risks of being affected by draughts, especially when an HVAC unit is in the room, and it helps protect against dryness. But make sure you’re sitting up straight. Slouching over your keyboard can cause back and shoulder muscular stress, which reduces blood supply to your eyes and causes visual difficulties.

Change Your Lighting

Even if your screen is backlit, sufficient room lighting is important. Too much light or too little light can cause eye strain and headaches. Your screen should be bright enough that you don’t have to squint, but not so bright that it appears to be illuminated. It is also critical to reduce glare.

Glare can impair one’s capacity to carry out their routine job duties. Place a folder over your head while looking at your work terminal. If using the folder makes it easier to read, you may experience pain and impairment glare. Glare can be reduced by applying an antiglare coating, installing a screen around your computer, and ensuring that no other light sources are shining on your computer screen.

Increase Your Font Size

Increase your font size if you see yourself squinting to read the content on your computer screen. This can help to relieve some of the strain on your eyes and avoid unneeded strain.

If your budget allows, you can also choose a larger monitor, which will automatically increase the size of anything you’re working on.

Blink More

Blinking is commonly seen as an involuntary motion. However, if you spend all day in front of a computer screen, you should make an effort to blink more frequently.

Dry eyes have become a very frequent issue in confinement, owing largely to everyone’s increased screen use. When you stare at a computer screen, your blink rate decreases by two-thirds. Your eyes dry out between blinks, resulting in dry patches that can be very unpleasant. To combat this, we propose using the 20-20-20 rule. This means that every 20 minutes, take a break from gazing at your screen and look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to keep your eyes from drying out.

Take Frequent Breaks

You also need to take frequent pauses. Most experts recommend following the 20-20-20 rule, or step away from the computer and get a glass of water or go outside for a few minutes if you can. This allows your eyes to relax and moisten.

We also recommend that you position your workstation so that you are gazing out a window or facing out into a room, rather than against a blank wall. The faraway items prevent you from concentrating just on the near image of your computer screen. Looking at something in the distant effectively stretches your eyes.

Block Blue Light

Even in direct sunlight, there is blue light everywhere, but computer and phone screens contain huge concentrated amounts that are difficult for your eyes to filter out. Extended exposure to blue light can cause eyestrain, headaches, and disrupt your sleep. Therefore, we suggests wearing blue light glasses or using built-in blue light filters, which are now common on most computers and cellphones. If you use prescription glasses, you can incorporate blue light blocking technology directly into the lenses. 

Make Sure Your Prescription Is Correct

Make sure your glasses prescription is up to date if you wear them. Simply wearing the wrong prescription might cause eye strain. It can exacerbate the problem when combined with excessive computer use. You should also ensure that the glasses you’re wearing are appropriate for the work. If your glasses are designed for distant vision, they may not provide the clarity you require to view your computer screen.

You may require more than one pair of glasses for different tasks, or you may benefit from changing your current lenses to ones made expressly for computer use. For most people, it’s advisable to have an eye test every two years, but it’s best to attend earlier if any eye problems occur or if advised by your optometrist.

Create Technology-Free Zones

When working from home, it is critical to be gentle with yourself and your eyes. Allow yourself regular breaks and allow your eyes to look at things other than a screen. Whether you work from home or live at work, it is possible to strike the appropriate balance and maintain your eyes healthy.

Unplug completely after you’re finished for the day. Without your phone, read a book or spend time with family members. It is critical that you see your eye doctor on a frequent basis. While computer vision syndrome is treatable, a comprehensive eye exam will allow your doctor to identify any more significant disorders.

If, despite taking regular breaks, you are still having eye strain, you should consult your optometrist. They will be able to offer you assistance and may be able to schedule a consultation if your symptoms require immediate treatment.

Make sure you use your glasses when gazing at computer screens if your optometrist has recommended it. Consult your optometrist if you don’t already have a good pair that are comfortable for computer screen use. At Hall & Co Eyewear, we offer a range of lenses which can help with both your eyesight and screen time, we even offer blue light lenses for those who don’t need glasses but want to protect their eyesight. Simply call in store for more information, or give us a call on 028 9070 5787.