When your eyesight is good, your digital screens are well set, and your work environment is also comfortable, but, you still experience eye discomfort in front of your digital devices, your habits may be the problem.
As you already know, spending a long time in front of digital devices strains the eyes. However, many people have no choice but to spend long hours in front of them as they perform their duties at work. Therefore, habits that minimize the strain on the eyes and keep them as comfortable as possible in front of your devices are essential.
Here are SIX habits that you can adopt to help you avoid digital eyestrain.
#1 – Get enough sleep the night before a long workday
This helps you start the day with your eyes and body well-rested and free of discomfort. Otherwise, if you start work, tired and uncomfortable, you may experience eyestrain faster and get much more uncomfortable before the day ends.
#2 – Follow a good morning and evening eye care routine
This is very important for people who use eye makeup or contact lenses or have eyelid conditions that can trigger or worsen dry eye.
#3 – Put on your prescription or computer glasses before you start work
Doing this can help you avoid eyestrain. But, if you wait for your eyes to get strained before putting them on, you may feel better, but may not get full relief until after you shut down for the day.
#4 – Blink consciously and frequently while using your devices
Blinking redistributes tears over the eyes and keeps them lubricated and comfortable. It is often a reflex action, but for your comfort, while using your devices, you need to do it consciously. This is because staring at the screens reduces reflex blinking, and this can cause the eyes to dry out and become uncomfortable.
#5 – Take regular breaks in between digital device use
While you may need to work with your devices the whole day, you do not have to do it all at a stretch. Apart from being bad for your eyes, sitting without breaks in between is also bad for your general health. So take regular breaks. Every 20 minutes look away from your screen and focus on something far for about 20 seconds. Then, every hour, get up from your seat and move around for about 5 minutes.
#6 – Stay hydrated throughout the day.
This helps your eyes produce good quality tears that keep them lubricated and comfortable.
A question for you
How good are your digital habits for your eye comfort?
Find out by answering the questions in the image below.
The more questions you can answer ‘YES’ to, the better your digital device use habits.
