Eye strain is a common problem for people whose work requires that they stare at screens all day. The good news is there are plenty of things you can do to reduce the work your eyes have to do to look at your computer.
Adjust Screen Position
Placing your screen at an optimal distance and height is a good place to start. Our eyes have a natural focus point about 15-30 inches away. Any closer or farther and you are using muscles in your eyes to focus. Imagine flexing any of your other muscles for 8 hours a day.
This focus distance goes for your phone screen too. Holding your phone too close to your face will also strain your eyes.
For a deep dive on how to properly position your monitors, check out this guide.
Ensure Proper Lighting
You don’t want a dark room with a bright monitor. Anytime you look away from the screen your eyes will need to work to readjust. Then, BLAM, you look back at the screen and they need to tighten up to avoid too much light coming in.
You also don’t the space behind your monitor to be too bright for a similar reason. An easy way to wear out your eyes.
For a good guide on how to properly light your workspace to avoid eyestrain, see this article.
Correct Monitor And Computer Settings
Many people never increase the font size on their computer. Do you find yourself squinting, leaning forward, or feeling like you need reading glasses? Try upping the font size just a little. One of the simplest ways to reduce eye strain.
A flickering screen can tire your eyes out as well. Ideally you want a monitor with a greater than 60hz refresh rate to avoid flicker. And just because it can do greater than 60hz doesn’t mean it is. The default settings might have it at 60hz or lower. If you can’t increase above 60hz but the monitor specs say that it can, you may need a graphics card.
Screen brightness is another setting to take a look at. Especially if you have never adjusted it before. Different settings mean different things across monitor brands and the right level of brightness is going to depend on the lighting in your room. This will take some experimentation.
Reduce Screen Glare
Light that reflects off your screen is one of the most irritating sources of eye strain. But sometimes it is not quite as noticeable. Offices with overhead fluorescent bulbs are notorious for this cause of eye strain.
If you can’t readjust your lighting, try moving your monitor. If the sun is the source of the glare from a window, it might be time to put up some curtains.
A final solution would be to get an anti glare filter for your monitor.
Take Breaks
Doing a full 8 hours without looking away from a screen is a bit much. Especially if you do it everyday. When you step away from your computer, avoid looking at your phone for at least a few minutes.
There is a rule you that many people reference called the 20-20-20 rule which is, every 20 minutes you should look at a non-screen 20ft away for at least 20 seconds. I am not sure how helpful this particular pattern is, especially when it interrupts a good flow of work. However you should develop some rule yourself to break up your screen staring.
I recommend a short 5 minute walk every hour. This will improve your blood flow, give your eyes a rest, and boost your creativity.
Blink
Studies show that when we are looking at screens, we blink less. This leads to dry, irritated eyes. It sounds simple, and just knowing this fact will help you blink more while staring at your screen and help reduce eye strain.
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