How to prevent eye fatigue at work

What is eye fatigue?

With a lot of time spent on screens both at work, watching TV, or on mobile phones, our eyes can feel the effects. Eye fatigue or eye strain is mostly caused by looking at digital devices for too long. It can cause headaches, lead to blurry vision, red eyes and neck pain and shoulder or back caused by tension.

How to prevent eye fatigue

Luckily, eye fatigue is preventable with a few simple steps…

Take regular breaks

If you work at a screen all day, it’s essential that you take regular breaks to help give your eyes a rest. Making a drink, chatting to a colleague or going outside for a walk are all great ways to take a screen break. You could even try the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 mins look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Adjust the lighting

If your room is too dark and you are trying to focus on a screen or reading a document, this cause unnecessary strain on your eyes. Try adding brighter desk lamps or targeted lighting that illuminates the space you are working in such as the Alba Black Architect Lamp or the Alba Architect LED lamp in red.

Consider the air quality

Too much exposure to dry air can be the cause of tired eyes. Either air conditioning in the summer or drying central heating in the winter can lead to dry and irritated eyes. To counteract this, you could consider using a humidifier or air purifier to help add moisture to the air such as the Leitz TruSens Z-1000 Air Purifier which helps filter out air pollutants. Or try the TruSens SensorPod Air Q Monitor which cleverly adapts to conditions within the room to provide improved air quality. 

Book an eye test

Frequent blurred vision or tired eyes may mean you need to invest in a pair of glasses. Eye strain can cause headaches and eye fatigue as your eyes work harder or strain to focus on a close object. You may also require different glasses for different activities for example a pair for reading, looking at a screen or long distance.

Blink more often!

When we use devices, we tend to blink less often than we would usually do. Blinking cleanses and moistens the eye, flushing away small particles of dust and grime. Adults on average blink 10 – 15 times every minute. If we don’t blink due to concentrating on a screen, this lack of moisture can cause dry and tired eyes. Try making a conscious effort to remember to blink when using a screen to prevent eye fatigue.

Use ergonomic accessories

Ensure your desk is set up for ergonomic working to help prevent eye fatigue. Your monitor stand should be positioned so that the top of your screen is at eye level. Try the great value Contour Ergonomics extra wide monitor stand with handy drawer or the Kensington SmartFit Easy Riser to adjust your laptop to the right height. You could also try a document holder such as the Fellowes Workstation document holder or the Fellowes Booklift document holder to reduce how much your eyes move around.

Check your screen settings

The brightness of your screen could be affecting your eyes. You could use an anti glare filter on your screen or simply adjust the brightness to match your surroundings. You could also adjust the colour temperature so your screen gives out less blue light.

Take a break from contact lenses

If you’re a contact lens wearer then it’s inevitable that your eyes will become dryer towards the end of the day. Pop your glasses on for a while to counteract the drying effects of wearing contact lenses for too long.

At Sundry Supplies, we’re committed to wellbeing in the workplace. Please get in touch if you would like information on any our products to support healthy working.