You’re staring at one right now. Chances are, you look at them for the majority of your waking hours. We can’t get away from them as more and more creep into our everyday lives.
We’re talking about screens. You know, the tiny smartphone screen you check social media on. The big screen you watch your favorite shows and sports on. The one you use to check your email, do your work, keep track of calendars, budgets, family, friends … oh my! There are screens in our cars. To order food. To tell time. There are screens everywhere.
Nearly one in three U.S. adults say they stare at some type of screen for more than 10 hours per day. Yikes!
So, how can you keep your eyes happy and healthy with all of this screen time? We’re glad you asked! Here are some tips:
Reduce brightness. This seems obvious, but you’d be amazed at how much this simple tweak can help. By reducing the brightness on any screen and making sure that the screen is not the only source of light in the room, you’re lessening the strain on your eyes.
Take a break. Make sure you blink regularly to keep your eyes lubricated, which in turn prevents fatigue. Think about blinking, and you’ll notice a huge difference rather than allowing yourself to blink naturally. And don’t forget to take a break from staring at the screen, too. Look at anything, literally anything, else for at least 20 seconds for every 20 minutes of screen time to give your eyes a much-deserved rest.
Turn it off. Put away your phone for an hour when you’d normally use it. Turn off the TV before getting ready for bed. Simple changes can add up to big changes.