While all of us have different interests, routines, and hobbies, one of the things we will likely all have in common is falling victim to the amount of time we spend looking at our screens. Whether it’s our phone, tablet, computer or TV, there are so many different screens that we look at as we go through our days that it’s hard to keep track of how much time we actually spend looking at them.
One of the reasons screens are so harmful to our eyes is because of the blue light that they emit. This can have a big impact on your everyday life if you’re not careful due to the effects it can have on your sleep cycle. If you spend too long looking at screens before bedtime, our brains can register this light as daylight and alter our body clock.
When it comes to protecting ourselves from the impacts of too much screen time, there are luckily lots of easy steps that you can take to minimize any damage.
Yearly eye test
Having a yearly eye exam is a great way to minimize the effects of too much screen time by being aware of any issues. At an eye exam, you can bring up any problems or symptoms that you are experiencing. During the exam, the doctor may have your pupils dilated to do some checks for diseases or conditions that are developing or worsening because of too much screen time, for instance. They can then offer advice on what the next steps are.
Even if you don’t have any symptoms, having tests done to check your eyes’ overall health is important. Make sure to bring up any queries or concerns that you might have.
Remember to blink
As obvious as it sounds, blinking is really important to keep our eyes from experiencing eye strain. When looking at screens, we won’t blink automatically as often as we should. Make sure to do it throughout your screen time, and your eyes will thank you for it.
Adjust your lighting
One way that you can help your eyes stay protected when still looking at screens is to adjust the lighting on your screen. You can go onto settings on your computer and make sure that the screen brightness isn’t any brighter than the light around you. This is so that your eyes don’t have to work harder. You could also adjust your room lighting, if this is easier, to create less of a contrast for your eyes to see.
Blue light filters
Blue light filters can help to stop too much blue light reach our eyes when we are staring at screens. This is so important in keeping our eyes healthy as blue light which will make it harder for us to sleep, meaning that adding a blue light filter will help you sleep better as well as reducing eye strain.
Computer Protective Glasses
Did you know that there are plenty of computer protective glasses you choose from. They are specifically made to alleviate the effects of screen exposure.
Keeping a safe distance
It’s important to have your screens at about an arm’s length (25 inches) from your face so that your eyes don’t have to work any harder, which they do when your screens are nearer to you.
Reduce Glare or Use
You must check the positioning of your screens and make sure that they are not at risk of producing glare from the sun or other internal lights around you as this can really irritate your eyes. Alternatively, you could just reduce how much you look at screens. We are using screens lot more than ever before, so putting them down for an hour or two can really help your eyes.