March is observed as “Workplace Eye Wellness Month,” an effort to bring awareness to the importance of eye health and ways to support proper eye functions.
Did you know that roughly 2,000 people a day injure their eyes while working? Of those, approximately 33% of the injuries are severe enough to warrant a visit to the hospital for treatment. Even without a physical injury, roughly 14% of patients reported eye issues as a result of computer work.
Even if your eyes are in a good condition, don’t take eye health for granted. For those of us in a profession that requires the use of a computer for the majority of the day, here are a few tips to keep your eyes healthy.
Readjust your computer display settings
Studies show that adjustments to your computer display settings can help minimize eye strain.
Brightness – Aim to set the brightness of your monitor to be similar to the workstation that surrounds it.
Contrast and text color – Choose to work with dark text colors over a white background for minimal eye strain.
Color “temperature” – reduce the amount of blue light on your screen to improve long-term viewing comfort.
Take a mini break and look at a distant object
While working, pause for a while and direct your vision to a distant object for at least 20 seconds. Experts call this the “20-20-20 rule.” By varying your eye’s focus, it will help you relax the muscles inside your eyes that are working overtime to focus on your close monitor all day. This will help minimize eye fatigue.
Use proper lighting and reduce glare
Too much lighting and glare are some of the more common causes of eye strain. That’s why large corporations go to great lengths to dial in the right lighting feng shui. This can mean dark colored paints to reduce lighting reflections and a good balance of window shades or blinds. Often, low-intensity bulbs are used to reduce excessive light and glare, too.
Taking care of your vision is crucial to productivity. That’s why Workplace Eye Wellness Month is here to remind us that it’s our job to take care of our eyes.
