Fight the Screen Fatigue

By: Paoline S. Guinoo

Do you often feel tired and exhausted to start or finish your tasks because your eyes feel heavy? Here are some tips on how to fight screen fatigue to increase your productivity.

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Fight the Screen Fatigue!-- Taking Care of Your Eyes to Increase Productivity

You may put down your phone after checking this article.

As you read this, you are looking at a screen. After that, you are going to check on your phone or other device, go back to the other screen, you read texts, messages, updates, notifications, check on the social media, scroll through it for hours, then go to another device to check on things that needed to be done for academic and/or professional purposes. Once you’re done, you might check on your phone again for social media updates. Later, before going to bed, you may browse and watch Netflix films or random videos on YouTube.

You see, our eyes are constantly exposed to screen every day, every hour, every minute. Imagine how it hurts when your skin is exposed to direct sunlight the whole day without any sunscreen.

The beginning of the pandemic unleashed the start of a new world of work: many workers adjusted to a new normal of increased flexibility, students learn in a remote type of learning. We obviously are facing the screen more than ever. Our eyes are exposed and exhausted more than ever.

Dr. Jessica Lee, Retina Surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai says that digital eye strain has become increasingly more common from hours of staring at computers and phones all day.

“Some research has linked too much blue light exposure—particularly at night—to insomnia because the blue-light sensitive molecules in the retina are also responsible for setting our body's circadian rhythm,” Lee says. “Excessive blue-light exposure can suppress the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps set our sleep-wake cycle, which can in turn disrupt our sleep patterns, thus exacerbating eye strain.”

So, here are some ways to fight the eye strain or screen fatigue that we may experience everyday:

• Look away, every now and then

Constantly look away from the screen every 20 minutes, stare at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds or more. This is the ’20-20-20 rule’ according to Dr. Lee. This helps the eye muscles relax and help prevent symptoms of eye strain from excessive screen time.

• Bigger, better fonts

Dr. Lee also suggests that it is better to have bigger text on our screen to avoid squinting too much to read each letter.

• Blink

Blinking keeps the eyes lubricated. “Some doctors even suggest posting a note that says ‘BLINK!’ on the computer as a reminder,” Lee says. This is because your standard blink rate is about 15-20 time per minute, but this dramatically decreases “by up to half” when staring at a screen, says Lee. “If the eyes still feel dry, try using artificial tears to hydrate.”

• Dim your screen

Especially at night. That brightness is one of the biggest offenders. “Turning down the brightness—to the point where one can still see clearly—can help minimize the discomfort of nighttime screen viewing,” Lee says. “Some researchers recommend limiting exposure to blue light or screen time approximately an hour before going to bed to minimize any disruptions in our sleep cycle.”

• Get updated prescription

“Make sure you’re using the correct prescriptive glasses or contact lenses,” Lee urges. (Why have a prescription at all if it isn’t going to make your vision 20/20?) “Some people opt to customize a pair of contact lenses or eyeglasses prescription specifically for screen use, since it primarily requires use of our ‘intermediate’ vision,” she says.

Is Much Screen Time The New Smoking?

Prolonged sitting in front of your screen has been described as “the new smoking.” Research also has shown that prolonged sitting in the same position can create other problems such as back and neck pain. It has even been linked to serious illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Some studies have found that it is equal or worse than smoking cigarettes.

When your eyes are rested, your body is refreshed and your health stamina high, your job productivity will be better.

After checking this out, you know what to do! Take care of your eyes.

Reference:

• Hurly, A. (2017, November 18). Six Easy Ways to Fight Screen Fatigue. GQ. https://www.gq.com/story/six-ways-to-fight-screen-fatigue

• Robinson, B. (2020, October 16). The 20-20-20 Rule Offsets Screen Fatigue And Improves Job Productivity. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2020/10/16/the-20-20-20-rule-offsets-screen-fatigue-and-improves-job-productivity/?sh=729521793ce7