At work, we stare at computer screens all day except lunch breaks. A technology-dependent workspace means digital eye strain is not far behind. If the eyes feel painful and watery or cause redness and headaches, put your eye health first. Simple steps such as the tips listed will reduce eye strain so you can work longer.
The Palming Technique
Give meditation to the eyes by trying the palming technique. Close your eyes and keep them closed during the routine. Place the center of hand palms over the eyes. Take a deep breath while relaxing eye muscles. Keep shoulders and neck relaxed to avoid eye tension. An alternate suggestion is rubbing palms together before closing eyes and placing palms over it.
Blink More Often
You naturally blink often. When it comes to technology, you blink less because you're too busy reading articles and viewing photographs. Start blinking more frequently. A good routine is blinking every 10 to 15 seconds. Blinking coats the front part of the eye with oxygen and nutrients. A blink also creates a tear coating, which provides moisture and sharpens vision. Not blinking enough dries eyes out.
Enlarge Text
Web browsers offer zoom or page zoom on the settings page or within the menu. Zoom on the settings page creates a default level for the entire browser. The zoom feature in the menu only works for the current page. Zoom features are in MS Office software and word processing software too. Regardless, enlarging text on the page reduces eye strain because it is less difficult to read information.
Distance Yourself
How close do you need to be to view the computer screen? Too close increases eyestrain. Too far and you squint trying to digest the information. A reasonable distance is 25 inches between the screen and the face. Measure the distance with your arm, which is roughly the same distance.
Maneuver the Computer Screen
A good computer screen position offers comfort to the eyes while reducing glare. Glares are a distracting reflection bouncing off the computer. To increase eye comfort, move the computer screen downward or lower the screen's height to below eye level. When the screen is below eye level, the eye doesn't have to open fully to view the screen. In turn, the eyes get a break from eye strain while reduces glare.
From perfect 20/20 vision to eyeglass/contact wearers, digital eye strain can happen to anyone. It's important to make eye health an equal priority to meeting the deadline at work. These tips will keep your eyes on the computer longer with less strain to stop you.
