6 Tips to Reduce Eye Fatigue in Your Virtual Space

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Posted by: Missouri Eye Institute in Blog on August 22, 2022

Love it or hate it, the virtual workspace or classroom is here to stay to varying degrees for many people. Does your home environment set you up for success — or stress?

You may be spending too much time on electronic devices under less-than-ideal conditions if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Squinting
• Headaches or eye pain
• Light sensitivity
• Leaning in too close to a book, tablet or computer screen
• The urge to rub eyes
• Covering an eye or tilting the head to read, which could be a sign of double vision

If you’re facing long hours in a virtual workspace or classroom, establish a working environment that’s conducive to productivity and practice a few habits to help keep your eyes comfortable throughout the day.

1. Get the light right.

Keep your computer screen bright enough to see words clearly but not so bright that the level of light is uncomfortable. Some people find that lowering lights elsewhere in the home office helps; others respond well to soft lighting that floods the space. Be mindful of what amount of light causes you to squint or lean toward your screen. Your eyes will tell you what’s most comfortable.

2. Give your eyes a break. 

To keep dry eye at bay, follow the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes focus on something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Use a smartphone or smartwatch app to set reminders.

3. Play a blinking game. 

You would think that blinking would be so automatic you wouldn’t have to give it a thought, but that’s not always true. When we’re intently focused on a computer monitor, smartphone, tablet or television screen, we can “forget” to blink! Less blinking means less eye lubrication, and that can translate into blurriness from dry eyes.

To get back into the habit of adequate blinking, practice coordinating your blinking with something else that happens frequently. For example, blink every time you see a comma or period in text, or every time you hear the words, “mute,” “uh,” “you” or “sorry” in your virtual meeting.

4. Practice good lens hygiene. 

If you rely on visual aids, keeping them clean and using them properly are vital to comfortable work (or homework), whether in person or in the virtual space. Good eyewear hygiene is especially important for contact lenses. Follow your doctor’s advice and manufacturer’s recommendations for how and when to wear, clean and replace your lenses.

5. Get your annual eye appointment. 

Your eyes can change a lot in a year. Make sure you’re keeping up with the changes by getting a thorough annual eye examination. You can make it a habit by scheduling it for the same time every year: for example, the start of a school year, the beginning of your company’s fiscal year, or your birthday month. Whatever hallmark you’re most likely to remember and have time.

6. Consider LASIK vision correction.

We help many LASIK patients who come to us because they’re tired of the eye strain caused by wearing their glasses all day. Others tell us they are experiencing “Contact Lens Intolerance” (yes, that’s a very real condition) and can’t stand to wear their contacts for longer than a couple hours of computer work.

Whatever the case, a laser vision correction procedure like LASIK may be able to offer visual relief in our virtual world. Click here to request a consultation online now.

Missouri Eye Institute has helped thousands of patients attain freedom from glasses and contact lenses. Contact us at (800) 383-3831 to schedule a LASIK consultation or visit MissouriEye.com to learn more about our services.