Most of us spend hours in front of the screen. Whether that be on the phone, laptop, or tablet, we’re constantly glued to our devices.
But in the 21st century, that may not be a choice we have much say in when screens are used to do almost everything. From work to sorting out grocery shopping to communication, screens have become a typical part of our daily lives. And when you’re going through a divorce, it’s impossible not to use the internet to keep up with everything going on.
When you stare at the screen all day, you may experience blurred or double vision, eyestrain, dryness or irritation. So it’s important to keep up with your eyes’ health.
Read some of our tips below to help you keep your eyes feeling healthy and loved.
1. Change the position of your device
When you’re in front of your computer, make sure it’s approximately 25 inches away from your face – about an arm’s length away. If you’re sitting closer, this will make your eyes work harder to see the screen. The computer should also be slightly below your eye line if possible.
For your phone, most people tend to hold them only a few inches away from their eyes. Instead, make sure you hold your phone approximately 15-20 inches away so your eyes are not being strained.
2. Adjust your screen colour or colour temperature (dark mode/night mode)
There are many features available nowadays on our devices, and some of these can be great for maintaining good eye health.
Night Mode –
One of these is the night mode option available in our computer settings. Depending on the type of computer you have, you can set your computer to automatically put a yellow tint on the screen after a certain time in the evening. This function changes the screen’s colour temperature by emitting a warmer yellow colour to reduce the blue light. This will put less strain on your eyes whilst you work throughout the day.
You can also enable the warmer tint to be on constantly rather than just at night. This setting is usually found in the ‘personalisation’ section, but this varies according to the device.
Dark Mode –
Another useful feature is the dark mode option on Microsoft Word document. If you’re one of the millions of people who use Microsoft Word document on a daily basis, there’s a way to change the theme to a dark grey/black colour:
Follow these steps – Click ‘File’ > ‘Account’ > ‘Office Theme Dropdown’ > Select the ‘Dark’ option.
Dark mode is also available on most social media apps and other devices, so check your settings and switch over to dark mode to protect your eyes from the constant bright light.
3. Eye yoga
Try out some eye yoga exercises to help keep them healthy. We use our eyes constantly throughout the day, so it’s inevitable that they become tired or strained. Doing these exercises can help sooth eye strain, reduce tiredness and strengthen your eye muscles.
Go read our article on the different exercises you can try and elevate your eye yoga!
4. The 20-20-20 rule
When you’re at work or trying to get through the work needed to prepare for your next hearing, it’s difficult to find time for your eyes to get a break. Leaving your desk might not be an option, so following this general 20-20-20 rule can help you protect your eye health whilst working in front of a screen.
After 20 minutes of screen time, look away from your device towards an object approximately 20ft away for 20 seconds.
Repeat this throughout the day, allowing your eyes a break and preventing further eyestrain when you can’t get away from the screen for longer than a few minutes.
5. Limit your screen time before bed
Many people find that they need to scroll their social media or get some extra work done on their phones or laptops before bed, but doing this before you sleep can be detrimental to both your eye and body health. The blue light emitted causes eyestrain and can also disrupt your circadian rhythm (basically your internal clock that tells you when to sleep).
Place your phone on your bedside table (pop in some headphones if you share a room!) and listen to some interesting podcasts. There are millions online to choose from so you’re guaranteed to find something right up your street, whether that be a series on true crime, sports, or a comedy.
This can be helpful if you find your mind tends to race at night and you need another way to slowly reduce your screen time.
6. Artificial tears
If you want immediate relief, this is a great option for you. Although the above advice will be helpful to keep your eyes in good shape, artificial tears are an extra step you can take to make sure your eyes stay lubricated and healthy almost instantly.
Applying them to your eyes can bring instant relief, adding moisture to your eyes and allowing you to continue your work (although you should definitely take a minute to look away from the screens after this!).
When you find yourself constantly near a screen, especially with most things being online now, artificial tears are a great investment.
Share your own tips for keeping up your eye health on our forum and social media!
