How to Prevent Eye Strain from Digital Devices: A Guide 2022
Prevent digital eye strain
The center of the screen should be approximately 10-15 degrees below eye level. Reduce glare with a matte screen filter. You can find them for all computers, phones, and tablets. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
Let’s be honest, we all spend far too much time in front of our screens. Whether that’s the obligatory scan of our phones before we go to bed (that we think lasts 15 minutes but is more like an hour) or our workstations, much of our day involves staring intently into the near distance.
Seeing as though we are unlikely to change our habits, and watching screens for hours at a time is going to be the norm for years and decades to come (until we are immersed in a world where microchips are inserted into our brains and we can scroll with our mind), it’s best to try to adopt a few ground rules that will help you keep your eyes from becoming too strained.
Here are a few ways to prevent eye strain, as well as the knock-on effects (like headaches and dizziness) that come from spending too much time watching your devices.
Take Breaks
This is an easy one. Try to break up the time you spend in front of your computer or device; it’s easier than it seems. Every hour make sure to spend a few minutes away from a screen, make it a routine, and you’ll find that any eye strain or headaches you get from the prolonged period of screen-watching should be significantly reduced.
When at work, this may be easier. Simply take a walk to the water cooler or say hi to a work colleague, whatever it takes to take that break. When it comes to ending your forever scrolls on your device, that’s a tougher nut to crack. It’s important to reduce the time you spend looking at your phone as it’s not all that healthy from a physical or mental perspective. It’s especially important to minimize screen time prior to going to sleep.
Wear the Right Glasses
It’s possible that the strain on your eyes is less about the continued exposure to screens and more about your glasses not being the right level for you. Most of us don’t have our eyes checked regularly enough, and that can mean that the glasses you are wearing (and may have been wearing for years) are now no longer relevant.
Consider also wearing progressive lenses if you have eyesight issues relating to different distances; you can get some great looks and styles at GlassesUSA.com, and shopping online for your spectacles is almost always cheaper than visiting your high street optician, and of course, you have the added bonus of a much wider range of options.
If you wear contact lenses while in front of your screen, then alternate with glasses when you can, as this will help to give your eyes a little break. With this in mind, you might want to consider wearing contacts when in your office and then switching things up by wearing glasses at home.
Make Sure the Lighting is Right
Quite often, issues with eye strain can be related to the environment you are in and not necessarily your time in front of a desktop or phone. Make sure the lighting is sufficient and not too dark, as poor lightning may lead to a great deal of squinting that can put a strain on your eyes.
Clearly, you don’t need the room you are in to be super bright, as this creates issues of its own, but make sure there is ample lighting when it comes to being able to see your screen effectively. Also, try to avoid glare on your screens as this creates another obstacle for your eyes to overcome.
Try to Stay the Right Distance From Your Screens
When at your work desk, try to make sure you aren’t hunched over and too close to your screens; if you are, then this may be related to an incorrect prescription on the glasses you may be wearing.
Ideally, you should be at least 20 inches from your screen, which is about an arm’s length, and you should factor in a greater distance if the screen is particularly large. In other words, if you have a mammoth tv screen, then you should be even further back than 20 inches.
Also, make sure that the monitor or screen you are looking at is slightly below your eye level; avoid looking up as this presents an additional issue for your eyes and your neck.
Consider Blue-Light Blocking Glasses
You may well have heard about blue-light glasses, as they are incredibly popular right now (especially with avid gamers), and they can help you avoid eye strain. It’s important to note that when it comes to scientific studies, it’s unproven that blue-light glasses actually help in this area, but that hasn’t stopped tens of thousands of people wearing them and being convinced of their efficacy.
Blue-light glasses are designed to help block out the blue light that comes from screens, and this is said to have a great impact on eye strain-related issues that can result from overexposure to screen time.
They can also help with glare concerns, and while they are not proven to be 100% effective, they are not harmful to wear, and as such, they are an item that many consider an option that works for them.
Adjust the Settings Of Your Screen
Sometimes the issue can be easier to fix. On many occasions, the screens, especially desktop screens, are just placed on the wrong setting. Maybe the contrast or brightness on your monitor isn’t correct, leading you to strain when viewing them; try fiddling around with these until you can happily interact with your screen with minimal strain.
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How to Prevent Eye Strain from Digital Devices: A Guide 2022
