When we are working on a computer, we tend to be focused and that most likely means we are not blinking our eyes which can cause dry eyes. Simply, spending a moment to blink 20 times as fast as you can may immediately provide your eyes relief. Read below for more tips on how to keep your peepers healthy.
- Eye exercises:
- Palming: Rub your hands to create warmth, and cup the palms of your hand over your closed eyes.
- Look away from monitor: 20-20-20 rule (Every 20 minutes look at an area 20 feet away for 20 seconds).
- Wear sunglasses.
- Use blue light protection glasses. Read more about "blue light" below.
- Visit your eye doctor.
- If you do wear glasses, ensure your glasses come with blue light protection.
- If you wear contacts, alternate with glasses a few times per week.
- Adjust your smartphone's settings:
- Increase contrast.
- Increase text size.
- Adjust brightness. It shouldn't be lighter or darker than your surroundings.
- Decrease color temperature. That means it will give off less blue light, mentioned below.
- Increase refresh rate. That will cause less flickering of the screen.
- Use an eye protection cover on your smartphone (and get the warranty).
- Keep devices an arm's length away.
- Use an eye care computer application. A few options are listed below.
- Use proper lighting (adjust brightness levels, ensure your workspace is well lit but also not incredibly bright).
- Have eye drops on hand to relieve dry eye.
- Try a humidifier and keep it in the same room as your workspace.
- Make sure that the top of your screen is eye-level or slightly below eye-level to reduce strain.
- Blink more.
Blue Light
The visible light with the highest intensity is blue light, and just above it on the spectrum is UV radiation. One concern is that, because blue light is so close to UV radiation in wavelength, it might be similarly harmful, particularly to our vision. The screens on our electronic devices may not emit light anywhere near as bright as sunlight (which contains both blue light and UV radiation), but the time we spend staring at our screens is time we spend exposing our eyes to blue light. Try blue light protection glasses to prevent eye strain, improve sleep, and overall eye health.
Research Blue Light Lenses on Amazon.com
Eye Care Applications
Here are some top apps designed to support eye health, especially for people who spend long hours at work on screens.
EyeCare Plus
Offers eye exercises, reminders to take breaks, and tips for reducing eye strain.
EyeLeo
A break reminder app that encourages regular eye rest with fun exercises.
Protect Your Vision
Prompts users to follow the 20-20-20 rule (look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes).
Twilight
Filters blue light on your screen to reduce eye strain during evening hours.
f.lux
Automatically adjusts your screen’s color temperature based on the time of day to minimize blue light exposure.
Iris
Reduces screen brightness and blue light without PWM flicker, customizable for comfort.
Awareness
Reminds you to take micro-breaks and focus on eye relaxation exercises throughout the day.