If you have found this article, chances are you spend quite a bit of time staring at a computer screen. Perhaps you even get headaches and fatigued eyes like me. On long days, I might use my computer for 10 hours out of the day trying to get pressing work done. While I will admit this is not particularly healthy, it sometimes seems unavoidable with project deadlines and work responsibilities. After frequently getting migraines after some of these long, stressful days, I decided that enough is enough. I started doing a bit of research on how I could minimize the effects and give my eyes, brain, and mind a break while still getting the work I needed to get one. I am happy to say that with these 4 tips in this article, I have greatly reduced the amount of eye strain in my daily work life.
Adjust your display
If you are frequently getting eye fatigue from working long hours at the computer, consider changing the screen settings. There are a few ways you can adjust the display, but the ones that may make the biggest difference from eye strain are the brightness and the color temperature.
- Brightness: If the brightness on your display is much brighter than your surrounding work station, it may be causing eye strain. Turn the brightness down so that it isn’t noticeably brighter than the rest of your desk.
- Color Temperature: “Blue Light” is frequently blamed as the top cause of eye strain. To turn down the amount of blue light coming out of your display, switch to a more “warm color” display. It will look slightly red/orange compared to the default settings.
Stay hydrated
When in doubt, drink water! While most of the article is focused on the screen time aspect of eye strain and headaches, being dehydrated will make any strain you have worse. Dehydration is one of the causes of headaches, and in general will make any day more difficult. It’s possible that the best thing you can do for yourself is to drink a big glass of water. One thing I find that makes it much easier to stay hydrated is to have a reusable water bottle take to work. Personally, I prefer one with a handle on top so it can be easily carried to meetings while also carrying a laptop.
Step away from the computer
Okay, I understand that this contradicts some of what I was just saying. However, for a lot of us, there are times of the work day when we are working, but we don’t really need to be staring at the screen. Maybe you are in a brainstorming call, or you are thinking through a problem that could be done on pencil and paper, or you are discussing a project with a colleague. These are good times to just walk away from your work station and take a walk, go to another work area without a screen, or
Get a pair of “blue light” glasses
Out of all the things on this list, this personally made the biggest difference for me immediately. Blue Light is a certain kind of light that comes out of screens (computers, monitors, TVs, and your phone all emit blue light). It has been shown that blue light is what contributes most to eye strain and fatigue. Naturally, one way to cut down on eye strain is to purchase a pair of blue light blocking glasses. While they sound futuristic and fancy, you can actually pick up a pair at a very reasonable price. I personally bought the following plastic pair by Gamma Ray for $15 and have had it for over 2 years.
The pair of Blue Light glasses I bought was only $15, but if you need prescription lenses, or prefer a designer frame, or want a step up there are certainly options for that as well. For example, the LensCrafters site shows a nice collection and a few different variations of blue light lenses, including prescription glasses. However, your local optometrist or eye glass store will likely have these as well.
If you have found this article, you are probably in need of a change in your life to help out with migraines or eye fatigue at work. I encourage you to adjust your computer display, pay attention to your hydration, remember to take breaks, and consider the eye glasses. Best of luck and happy coding!
