While many of us are working from home these days, it is important that your home office provides adequate care and protection for your eyes while you’re on the job. The fact of the matter is, digital eye strain has become an increasingly common workplace issue in the modern world. However, it is something that can easily be avoided if simple preventive measures are taken. With this guide, we hope to educate our readers on eye care and safety, and we’ve outlined some easy-to-follow steps to keep your eyes healthy and comfortable while you work.
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Use Proper Lighting
A key way of avoiding eye strain is getting rid of any glare. Glare on your computer screen is most commonly caused by harsh overhead lighting or windows letting in excessive bright light. Position your computer strategically to avoid unwanted glare, or make adjustments in your lighting (dim the lights in your home office or lower your blinds as necessary) to ensure an optimal lighting environment for your eyes, keeping them relaxed and unbothered.
Reconfigure Your Workspace
Take care to ensure that your home workspace is comfortable for your eyes by using our helpful distance guidelines. The ideal distance between your eyes and your computer screen is 20 to 24 inches, or about an arm’s length away. In addition, the center of your screen should be 10 to 15 degrees below eye level for optimal comfort. You can visualize this by picturing your eyes looking slightly downward. This work position is widely reported to be the most comfortable for not only your eyes but your back and neck as well.
Customize Your Computer’s Display Settings
Your computer’s ability to adjust its display settings is there for a reason, and it works to your eyes’ benefit! You can play around with the various settings and find which setting works for you, but we’ve also provided some general tips to guide you in finding the ultimate eye-friendly setting.
- Brightness: A good rule of thumb is to adjust the brightness of your computer screen to match the brightness of your surrounding home office space.
- Text size: Small text can be taxing for your eyes to read and can lead to eye strain. Enlarge the text and let your eyes relax, both reducing the strain and giving you more energy to focus on your task.
- Colour temperature: Computers give off blue light which is more likely to cause eye strain than other hues that are easier on the eyes, such as orange or red. By reducing the colour temperature on your computer’s display, you reduce the amount of blue light emitted which means less eye strain in the long run.
Remember to Take Breaks
Adopt an effective work-break plan by following the 20/20/20 rule. This will go a long way towards relieving or preventing eye strain. The rule says that for every 20 minutes, look away from your computer and redirect your attention to something else 20 feet away, then focus on it for 20 seconds.
Come and Visit Us
If you have been or are currently experiencing digital eye strain, feel free to schedule an appointment with us for a comprehensive eye exam. One of our experienced optometrists will give you a quick, thorough exam to provide you with quality information and peace of mind about your eye health.
Enjoy Your Work By Preventing Eye Strain
Maintaining eye health and safety is beneficial for both you and your employer. Not only does having an eye-friendly workspace help you enjoy your work, but it also helps with productivity and overall comfort, both of which are welcome in today’s work-from-home lifestyle. Now that you know all the keys to eye health in the workplace, we hope you’ll protect and keep your eyes healthy and comfortable while you’re on the daily hustle!