According to Bloomberg, office hours have increased by about 3 hours on average since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced many companies to adopt a work -from -home policy which has its own share of pros and cons.
Before now, the average office worker spent about 1,700 hours annually in front of a digital screen. It is safe to say that this figure has spiked dramatically.
How does this relate to Computer Vision Syndrome?
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) refers to the range of symptoms that you can experience as a result of prolonged use of computers and digital screens like phones and tablets.
CVS is caused by a variety of reasons including:
- Poor lighting of your surroundings can cause eye strain
- Glare from your computer screen
- Untreated vision problems
- Inappropriate viewing distance and angle
- Poor sitting posture
If you have CVS, you may experience some of these symptoms:
- Blurred vision
- Dry and red eyes
- Eyestrain
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Headaches
These symptoms can be irritating and impact negatively on your productivity and also reduce your quality of life.
The big question here is
How can you protect yourself?
- Plan your day
You tend to spend more time at work when working from home, and you also take fewer breaks. So, you need to make a timetable for yourself. Pick a particular time every day to go on a break and give your eyes and mind some rest. This will help in reducing the strain on your eyes that comes from focusing on a screen for hours with little or no rest in between.
- Adjust your settings
Reduce the brightness of your computer screen. Ideally, your computer should not be brighter than your surroundings, as this makes it harder for you to see. Use your phone or computer’s night light setting to help reduce glare and the blue light emissions from the screens.
Don’t be scared of toggling the font size to a more comfortable size for reading and increase the contrast to a suitable level for you.
- Work On Your Workstation
The proper distance between your face and your screen is 20 to 28 inches. If you have to strain or bend your neck to see, then you need to adjust the distance. Also, your eyes should be a bit above the level of the screen. Ensure that your seat has a backrest, you can use a pillow to prop yourself up as well to reduce the strain on your back.
- The 20 – 20 – 20 Rule
Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away (one and half times the length of a car)for 20 seconds. It may be hard to time yourself so you can download an app that reminds you to take an eye break and to blink also. Blinking helps to keep your eyes wet and prevent them from drying out. You can try out this app.
- See A Doctor
Your CVS may be a result of untreated eye problems, so you should pay a visit to the optometrist regularly to get your eyes checked.
Luckily, we’ve made it easier for you to access the best healthcare, just click on this to get connected and buy a plan for yourself
