Most of us spend hours glued to the screens: the computer at work, the phone in our commute, and maybe even the tablet at home. All this time glued to the screen does make our eyes ache sometimes—dryness, blurry vision, or even headache being some common issues. Here are a few good habits that go a long way in maintaining healthy eyesight. Let’s talk about these simple yet effective methods to keep your eyes feeling comfortable with less irritation and discomfort caused by screen usage.
1. Apply the 20/20/20 Rule
Viewing the screen for an extended period forces our eyes to focus on a short distance, thus overworking the eye muscles and may lead to symptoms such as blurred vision and eye fatigue. The 20/20/20 rule is a simple yet effective way to give your eyes a break.
Take a 20-second break every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away. This may be useful in resetting your eyes as you shift focus from near to far, thus relaxing the muscles. This practice of habit reduces eye strain but also improves your flexibility for the eyes, making your vision sharper for longer periods. To remind yourself, you can set up a timer on your device or download an app specifically created to remind you to take breaks from the screen. This will make a huge difference in how your eyes will feel at the end of the day.
2. Fill Up Gadget Breaks with No-Screen Activities
While checking one’s phone may sound good to do during the time of a computer break, actually switching screens does not rest the eyes. No-screen activities should be made available for maximum eye relief in the breaks.
Stand up, stretch, take a step outside for fresh air, grab a drink, or simply gaze out a window. All these short exercises can refresh your vision and help keep your eyes and body healthy and fit. Even activities that involve stretching or deep breaths will enhance blood circulation within your eye muscles. For this reason, giving the eyes some time to unwind without any screen time works well, so it makes it easy to return without feeling fatigued and strained.
3. Screen setting
Change the brightness and contrast on your screen and also the size of your text. The high-brightness screen is the toughest to view, especially in low-light environments. Too small texts are also strenuous for the eyes because they will have to put in so much effort to read them.
Lower the brightness to an appropriate level with respect to the brightness surrounding your area. Most devices now offer the option of “auto-brightness,” which can adjust your screen based on your surroundings. Also, increase your text size if you tend to squint or bend forward to read, and use a larger font if reading large amounts of text forms part of your work. For evening work, consider turning on “night mode” or “dark mode.” That way, you will reduce the amount of blue light emanating from your screen and find it easier on the eyes in dim lighting. Little changes like these really add up; you may work comfortably for a more extended period.
4. Blink More Often and Try Eye Exercises
When we are concentrated on screens, we tend to blink less frequently—about one-third as often as we naturally do. The reduced blinking rate will dry out your eyes and make you feel uneasy and irritated. The way out would be to consciously blink because a natural blink will moisten and revitalize your eyes.
You can also try simple eye exercises that stretch and condition your eye muscles. One of the most productive exercises is the “figure-eight”: imagine an invisible shape of a figure eight that is 10 feet before you and trace it along with your eyes for a minute. Another useful eye exercise is “near-far focusing”—hold a thumb at 10 inches right before your face and maintain focus on it for a while, and then change your glance to an object 20 feet away. Pristine practices day in and day out could greatly minimize the risks associated with screen fatigue and eyesight.
Why Eye Care Is Now More Important Than Ever
The average adult spends some seven hours a day on a screen. For those working remotely or at school, or even merely relying on digital devices to interact with the world around them, that number may be higher. This change to a higher rate of screen time usually cannot be avoided, yet it is not something one has to suffer from while having their eyesight impacted if the conscious approach to taking care of the eye is put into practice. Even little changes, for example, following the rule of 20/20/20, taking true gadget breaks, adjusting screen settings, and paying more attention to blinking, save the eyesight from destructive effects by long exposure to a screen.
These tips reduce not only discomfort but also ensure long-term preservation of eye health, and thus we can enjoy the digital world comfortably and safely.
