Many people work for long stretches of time in front of a computer screen and suffer from eye fatigue.
What can you do to prevent eye fatigue and strain?
The 20-20-20 Rule. For every 20 minutes of work, take a 20-second break, and look at something at a distance of about 20 feet.
That’s it.
20 minutes – 20 seconds – 20 feet
The 20-20-20 Rule vs eye fatigue
The best way to put this into action is to:
- set an alarm for 20-minute intervals;
- look at the window for 20 seconds (a tree, a building, etc.);
- use this opportunity to stand up and move a little bit!
No window? You could also close your eyes for 20 seconds; that works too against eye fatigue.
This method is endorsed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, among others.
Other solutions
To clear eye fatigue, try adjusting the screen contrast and brightness. They should fit with the amount of light you have in your office space.
And of course, please make sure that the distance between your eyes and the computer screen is appropriate. Usually, a distance between 16” and 27” should do it.
Pic credit : picjumbo.com
Post written by Emmanuel Benoit, Ergonomist CCPE, CIRC
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