Overcome eye fatigue
Do you suffer from dry, watery, itchy or tired eyes? Well you’re not alone. You may be experiencing visual fatigue – also known as eyestrain.
These annoying symptoms can occur after sustained periods of any type of activity that involves intense use of the eyes, including reading, writing, driving, or straining to see in soft light.
If you’re guilty of spending hours on your laptop, smartphone or tablet, it is possible that your eyes might be even more susceptible to fatigue. Up to 90 per cent of people who spend much of the day in front of a computer are believed to experience eye problems as a result. The ensuing issues are attributed to factors such as exposure to the radiating light from your screen, a greatly reduced frequency of blinking whilst in front of a screen and eye muscle fatigue due to constantly scanning text or switching focus from one part of the screen to another.
So how do you avoid damaging your eyes and easing any possible side effects of starring at a screen for too long? Giving your eyes regular breaks is important! Ideally you should work towards at least three 20 second breaks every hour. It is also beneficial to ensure you minimise the glare and that you don’t strain or squint your eyes to see clearly.
5 tips to curb your screen habits
- Blink often. On average we blink 20 times a minute but when in front of a screen only 7 times. Blink often to keep the eyes moist.
- Look away at three times every hour for a 20-second break.
- Exercise your eyes by bringing an object like a pen as close to your eyes as possible while still being able to focus on it clearly, then focus on an object 10 feet away from you. Repeat 3 to 5 times several times per day.
- Palm your eyes by covering them with the palm of your hands and block out the light completely for 1 to 3 minutes several times per day.
- Monitor the screen and adjust accordingly. For instance, if you notice that you feel dizzy after being in front of a computer all day but it subsides when you stop and then comes back as soon as you’re back in front of the computer again, turn down the brightness on your screen.