Since the #COVID19 pandemic infected the world, we have certainly been living in the digital age with many of us either working from home or attending classes online. With the increased screen time, you may be experiencing more eye strain, fatigue, or even headaches which can make it more difficult to focus and complete your work. So what can you do to look at a screen for over 8 hours a day easier and less taxing on you and your brain?
There are many settings you can change on your computer to make it easy on your eyes. One of the easiest things you can change is the brightness of the screen to make it dimmer. You can also increase the font size to decrease the strain on your eyes. A bigger screen can even help with the eye strain. Many devices nowadays can be connected to your bigger monitors or TVs, making everything on the screen much bigger.
If the settings on the computer are not doing the job, you could invest in some blue light glasses. The blue tint of the glasses makes the screen less bright. There is also a free app called flux that you can download that will add blue and yellow tints on your screen and dim the background depending on the time of day. The softer colors can ease the eye strain.
The environment you are sitting in is an important factor too. If you are in a distracting environment, it may be more difficult to focus and then your eyes and brain are working harder than they should be. Find a quiet place in your house to work in, or consider noise-canceling headphones. Avoid sitting by the window to avoid any potential glare on the screen as well.
Taking breaks during the day is also important. Generally speaking, you should not be sitting for more than 20-30 minutes at a time. Get up and move your body to avoid stiffness and potential pain. Neck and low back pain are common injuries in people who sit for the majority of their day. The breaks will also help relieve the stress on your eyes and work on your brain to avoid potential headaches. There is a “20-20-20 Rule”; after 20 minutes of looking at the screen, take a 20-second break looking 20 feet away in front of you. This should help relieve some stress on your eyes and brain.
If you are suffering from a concussion or have migraines, working and focusing on the computer can be very difficult. Many of these settings and accommodations may help you tolerate the screen a little better. However, these accommodations are not the only thing you need. Likely you will need some exercises to further improve your tolerance. So talk to your physical therapist if you need a little extra help.
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