The new norm in this Covid-19 pandemic situation entails working from home to minimise contact with people outside your household. But that also means we’re spending more time on screen because it’s really quite hard to tear yourself away from work when the computer is a few steps away from your bed.
But Singaporeans raking up a lot of screen time is not something new. In 2017 alone, the statistics showed Singaporeans spend an average of 12 hours and 42 minutes a day on their digital devices. That comes up to just a little over 50 per cent of our days. Plus, up to 90 per cent of people who spend more than three hours in front of their digital devices will experience eye strain, fatigue, and even dryness. At its worse, these habits can lead to headaches, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pains.
While we can’t get away from working on phones, laptops and computers, there are many things we can do to relieve eye strain while being hard at work.
On a daily basis, increased screen time of say, 30 minutes, might not seem like much of a change but in the long run, it can actually put our eyes at risk for various health conditions. Whether you’re working from home or back in the office, it’s important to take frequent breaks to give your eyes some downtime.
Follow the 20-20-20 rule: for every 20 minutes of work, take a break and look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This break helps to rest your eyes, increase blinking, and reduce eye strain. It might help to set calendar notifications if you’re still getting used to this break.
Going for regular comprehensive eye checks at least once a year will help with early detection and intervention of common eye conditions. Just like how we should be visiting the dentist regularly, add this to the list too. Your optometrist can also provide detailed advice on how to better care for your specific eye needs.
Lighting might not be something you’d think to give much thought to, but eye strain can be caused by bright light or harsh interior lighting. When you’re working from home, the interior lighting should be about half as bright as what your office lighting typically is. You can stick to light bulbs of lower intensity or try using indirect soft white LED lighting.
(Read also “Clever Workspace Ideas If You Live In A Small Apartment“)
Aside from lighting, the display setting on your device actually matters a lot too. Match the brightness on your display to the brightness of the lighting in the room that you’re in. You can also adjust the colour temperature on the screen to lower the amount of blue light emitted so that your eyes feel more comfortable.
This one might sound silly but the science is all there. Blinking will help moisten your eyes and if you find yourself reaching for eye drops or even wanting to close your eyes even if you’re not tired, then you might need to blink more often every day. Every time you blink, you’re reapplying a new wet surface with the help of eye glands.
This article was first published in The Singapore Women’s Weekly.