The pandemic caused a massive shift in the way we go about our daily lives. We were forced to stay inside. Social interaction was reduced to talking to each other from across the street. And a lot of businesses were forced to abandon their offices and let their employees work from home.
The world is going back to normal now, but we realized as a society that working from home isn’t that bad of an idea. Productivity went up and people were generally happier not being micromanaged. But there is one issue that persists from the office right into the home. And that is the issue of too much screen time. It is widely accepted that starting at a screen for too long can be very detrimental to your health. This list will walk you through different options for keeping your eyes safe when working from home.
Blue Light Glasses
The reason screens are so bad for your eyes and health is due to blue light. But what is blue light? It is a type of light with a much shorter wavelength than other forms of light. It has been linked to various eye health issues and can affect your sleep schedule too. Prolonged exposure to bluelight can have devastating effects on your mental health as well. Partly due to the fact it makes your sleep less effective.
Blue light glasses are one of the most effective tools for dealing with this issue. Simply put, blue glasses filter out blue light using special lenses. This means you can look at your screen for far longer than before without exposing your eyes to the harmful blue light. These glasses can be made to match your prescription as well, meaning you can wear them for day to day use.
Taking Regular Breaks
Taking breaks is important. For a number of reasons. The first reason is to keep your eyes healthy. Just looking away from your screen for 10-15 minutes can do them the world of good for your eyes.
But it’s more than that. Studies have shown that working for longer than 40 minutes at a time without a break reduces productivity by a significant amount. So every 40 minutes you should move away from your computer and do something else. Make a cup of tea. Stretch your legs and arms. Go for a quick walk. Whatever you need to do. We recommend taking 10-15 minutes each break before you get back to work.
Getting Lots of Natural Light
Natural light is extremely beneficial to your body and mind. Vitamin D can boost your energy levels and helps your skin’s health. And natural light is also very healthy for your eyes. That is why it’s very important that you ensure you are getting lots of natural light while working from home. If you spend too long in the dark, staring into your screen, you are just going to exacerbate the problems caused by bluelight exposure.
We recommend you put your home office in a room with lots of natural light during the day. And make sure you crack a window, weather permitting, to get some fresh air in there as well.
Turning Down your Screens Brightness
Modern screens are extremely high quality. Which is a massive bonus for watching movies or playing video games. But better quality screens are far brighter than the screens of old. And brighter screens cause more issues for our eyes. So the simplest thing you can do to help your eyes out is to reduce the brightness of your screen. Having it as low as possible is recommended.