How to protect your eyes when you’re working from home

Many of us have had to adjust to working from home over the last couple of years. While remote work certainly has its benefits, it can also be easy to fall into unhealthy habits while you’re in the comfort of your own home—and some of those habits could be harming your eye health.

Recent research shows that Australians spend almost a third of each day staring at a screen. If you’re working remotely, chances are you’re racking up most of that third on your computer and phone—and all that screen time could be straining your eyes.

Limit your screen time

The use of devices with blue light may disrupt your sleep and effect circadian rhythm.

Therefore, it is particularly important to limit the use of devices in the late evening when blue light is most likely to impact your biological clock.

For young short-sighted people, prolonged screen usage has been shown to be a risk factor for increasing the amount or degree of short-sightedness. One hour a day when the eyes are focused in the distance, example while walking or exercising, has been shown to protect against worsening short-sightedness.

Here are some simple steps you can take to protect your eyes while working from home:

Set up your screens

Make sure your computer screen is about an arm’s length away from you and that it’s positioned just below your line of sight. This will also help you maintain good posture. While you’re sitting at your computer, keep your feet flat on the floor, don’t rest your wrists on your keyboard and don’t slouch. Hunching over your keyboard leads to muscle tension in your back and shoulders.

To avoid eye strain, you can also adjust your screen brightness so it’s no higher than the level of light in the room you’re working in.

Let the light in

Whether you’ve got a dedicated home office or you’re working at your kitchen table, try to find a space with plenty of natural, even light and good ventilation

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Take regular breaks

Try to take a break from your screen at least once every hour. If you don’t have the time or space to get up and move around a little, just take a few minutes to look out the window—even this simple change of focus can give your eyes the rest and rehydration they need.

An easy way to schedule regular breaks is to remember the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, switch your focus to something that’s 20 feet (6 metres) away for 20 seconds.

Keep blinking

Blinking is something we don’t normally have to think about, but too much screen time can actually reduce the amount your blink—according to some studies, we might blink up to 50% less when we’re in front of a screen.

If you find that your eyes feel dry or tired at the end of the workday, it may be because you haven’t been blinking enough—as blinking is what keeps your eyes moist and comfortable. Make a conscious effort to blink more while you’re working at a screen to prevent your eyes having to work harder than they need to.

Don’t forget to unplug

The perfect antidote to too much screen time is regular breaks. If you’re working at a computer all day, try to schedule in some device-free time after hours to help rest your eyes and wind down. It may help to create an area of your home that’s screen-free so you can avoid the temptation to check your phone or tablet.

Remember to avoid looking at any screens in the hour or so before you go to bed—those emails can wait until tomorrow!

For more information, book your consultation with Dr David Robinson, a Sydney based eye specialist, at www.sydneyvision.com.au or call us on 1800 25 20 20.