Our world has witnessed the outbreak of various epidemics and pandemics in the past. But digitalization has proved to be the biggest boon during this COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It is because of digitalization that we have been able to adopt work from home as a lifestyle change and kept the economic wheel churning even during these tough times. But while digitalization has its positives, the downside of technology is our how it impacts our health in the long run.
Work from home has increased our convenience of being connected to our colleagues all the time, but it also keeps us glued to our screens ever more. And so, here are some work from home useful health tips that will help you reduce your eye strain and improve eye health.
- Proper monitor position
- The ‘20-20-20’ rule
- Adjust screen brightness and contrast
- Limit glare from your monitor screen
- Choose the right eyewear
- Exercise your eyes
- Don’t forget to blink
- Eat Healthy
The correct monitor position is to have the top of your monitor at / just below the eye level. Sufficient distance between the monitor screen and your eyes (about an arm’s length) ensures that there is no unnecessary strain being caused to your eyes.
Ophthalmologists suggest that after every 20 minutes of staying connected to the screen, one should take a break for 20 seconds and look at something which is atleast 20 feet away.
If you are in a dark room, it’s best to have low brightness; and when you are in a brightly lit room, you must have higher brightness. Screen brightness, if adjusted with the brightness of your surroundings, helps improve the contrast which is soothing to your eyes.
Monitors reflect a certain amount of light which causes glares. An anti-glare protector or a matt screen is useful to reduce the glare that is reflecting back from the computer screen.
Ultraviolet light rays which are emitted from screens are harmful for the eyes. And hence, if you wear spectacles, ensure that the lens has an anti-glare coating which limits atleast 99% of both UVA and UVB light rays.
Like your muscles need exercise to stay in form, your eyes also need exercise to stay fit. Here are a few eye exercises that will not just relax your eyes from computer screen strain, but also have the potential to improve your vision.
When we are deeply involved in our work, we forget to blink. This is why, there has been a drastic increase in the number of people who are complaining of dry eyes today. Blinking helps lubricate our eyes and moistens them. So whenever you are working in front of the screen, make a conscious effort to blink as often as you can.
A diet plays an important role in maintaining eye health. Foods that are good for the eyes include green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, asparagus as well as legumes, nuts and beans.
As work from home becomes the new work culture worldwide, let’s increases our productivity and protect our eye health from the harmful side effects of our devices in the long run.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.