How to Create a Healthy Environment for Your Eyes
The average American spends about half their day looking at a screen. Laptops, cell phones, and tablets take up a lot of our time, and as a result, our eyes can become strained and tired.
Our screen time has increased even more since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many adults are working from home while children are spending the time they would be at school learning from a computer. And even when we’re not working many of us have taken to binging the latest TV show from Netflix or playing computer games.
All this is to say that eye health is more important than ever. From good lighting to having your screen in the correct position, here are some tips lessen the strain on your eyes.
Illuminate – It’s important to work in a well-lit space. If your office or workspace doesn’t get a lot of natural light, turn on the overhead light or get a desk lamp. Working from a screen that is brighter than your office space can cause a lot of eyestrain.
Blue Who?– Too much UV and blue light from digital screens, artificial light, and the sun can affect your vision and eye health. Download an app like Flux that eliminates your computer’s blue light or ask us about having blue light lenses installed in any of our frames!
Place it Right – Place a desktop monitor 25 inches and a laptop no less than 20 inches away from your face. You can also use an arm’s length distance for comfortable viewing and to prevent overworking your eyes. Also consider positioning the center of your screen 15 degrees below your eyes for an easy resting gaze.
Up the Size – Increase the zoom on your monitor’s setting if you find the monitor being at an arm’s length distance puts a strain on your vision. Many phones and computers all have the option to increase the font size.
Take a Break -The 20-20-20 rule is easy to follow and easy on the eyes. Every 20 minutes focus on an object 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. This will break up the long periods of screen viewing that can cause eye strain and dry eye. Even better than looking away from your screen is getting up from your seat, moving around, or grabbing a drink of water. This will limit physical body pain that can come with long periods of sitting and allow your eyes to relax even further. If necessary, set a timer on your phone or computer to remember to give your eyes a break.
Turn it Off – So much of what we do is on our laptops and phones that we can forget there is life beyond the screen. Take time each day to do an activity that is screen-free. Read a book, color, draw, do a puzzle, play a game, or get out for a walk!
Share this blog with your family or someone you know who spends too much time looking at a screen and encourage them to take care of their eyes!
