I love my job, but I don’t love the strain it puts on my eyes. Being glued to a computer for the better part of a day is not an arduous task, but it certainly takes its toll on your eyes. I already wear glasses, so I really don’t want to add to the thickness of my lenses, and that’s why I decided that I needed to take care of my eyes. If your job makes you susceptible to eye strain, you could take a leaf out of my book and follow these tips to avoid overburdening your eyes:
- Take a break once every 20 minutes. Besides giving your eyes a welcome rest, it’s good for your blood circulation too when you get your limbs moving.
- Look elsewhere once in a while, outside your window, at someone near you, anywhere as long as it’s not your computer screen.
- Most computer users spoil their eyes by staring too long at their screens. What they need to do is blink their eyes more often. It should be done in a conscious and deliberate manner at first so that your eyes retain their moisture and don’t dry up. And as time goes by, this action will become part of your subconscious.
- Invest in a screen that has a low reflective index. If you can read the same material on paper, do so instead of spending all your time staring at the screen.
- Make sure the lighting in the room is right – you don’t need bright lights behind you reflecting off your screen and hurting your eyes.
- Adjust the color and contrast settings on your system so that they’re at the optimal level for your eyes.
- Make sure your screen is tilted to the right angle and that your eyes are a little above the level of the screen when you work.
- If you’re copying something from a document to your computer, place the papers on a holder that’s level with your screen instead of moving your head back and forth every few words.
- If you require glasses, make sure you put them on while working. If not, you’re subjecting your eyes to a greater amount of strain.
- Besides these tips, you could improve your eyesight by exercising your eyes when you have the time. The eyes, like any other part of your body, become fitter and less prone to strain when they’re subject to regular exercise.
- If you feel your eyes paining, burning, watering or in discomfort in any other way, contact an eye specialist immediately.
The computer has become a necessity for most of us today, something that we cannot do without. But no matter how important the computer is, our eyes are infinitely more precious. And it’s up to us to do the best we can to take care of the windows to our soul.