8 Tips to Relieve Eye Strain as You Continue to Work from Home

5 May 2021 by Farihin Joehari

As you continue to work from home (or back in the office), do ensure you are taking care of your eyesight instead of staring at your computer for 8 to 10 hours straight. We can be so consumed with our work that we may even forget to blink. While we may not see the effects now, in the long run, this can lead to headaches, double vision and even vomiting. Improve your work style and incorporate these 8 simple tips to relieve eye strain, whether you’re working from home or in the office.

1. Position Your Computer Screen a Few Inches Below Eye Level

From an ergonomic point of view, it is crucial to place your screen a few inches below eye level to reduce the risk of long-term injury such as musculoskeletal disorders. Your screen should be placed at least an arm’s length away from your sitting position, about 50 – 100cm should suffice.

If you work with two screens, position the primary screen directly in front of you and the other slightly next to the side to avoid twisting your head and body too much.

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2. Use Computer Glasses (Blue-Light Blocking Glasses)

Do you know that an average office worker spends 1,700 hours per year staring at their computer screens? Consider purchasing a pair of computer glasses, or also known as blue-light blocking lenses for your prescription.

By staring at computer screens all day, you are exposed to blue light waves which are believed to cause issues such as eye strains. It will help as they have a yellow tint that absorbs the harmful blue light from your screens.

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3. Adjust Your Computer Display Setting

Adjust the brightness of your display such that it is similar to your surrounding workstation. A tip is to open a blank white page and make sure it doesn’t look too bright like a light source, or too dark which requires you to squint your eyes.

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4. Position Your Working Area Next to a Window
Allow natural sunlight to permeate your work desk and get a healthy dose of Vitamin D throughout the day. Feel the sun rays on your skin and have the liberty to look out your window whenever for a quick eye break – works well when you’re pondering how to respond to a client too.

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5. Increase Font Size
Try not to squint when reading a word document or numbers in an Excel file. Increase your font size so it puts lesser stress on your eyes and prevents unnecessary strain. If possible, use a working computer with a large screen or get a second screen for a better user experience.  

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6. Take Frequent Breaks

Working from home doesn’t mean you should glue your eyes to the screen from morning till night. To avoid body aches and eyestrains, it is recommended to take a 10-minute break every hour. Stand up, stretch your arms, legs, neck and back to reduce tension and muscle aches. Take some time to close your eyes for at least 5 minutes as well.

Alternatively, learn the 20-20-20 rule – for every 20 minutes you are using a device, look at something that is 6 metre away, for a minimum of 20 seconds to give your eyes a well-deserved break.

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7. Use an Eye Mask
Besides facial masks, incorporate using an eye mask in your skincare routine. After a long day of work, your eyes deserve a little pampering. Use a sheet before bed as it relaxes the muscles around your eyes, removing eye fatigue which leaves a refreshing feeling after. Or you can also use a clean cloth by dipping it in warm water and place it over your eyes for 5 minutes.

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8. Don’t Forget to Blink

This may come as a no-brainer, but you would be surprised, we sometimes do forget to blink when we’re too engrossed with work. Naturally, we blink once every 4 seconds, but studies have shown that this decreases by 50% when we are staring at computer screens. Thus, keep in mind to blink as much as possible as it will keep your eyes moisturized.

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