Safety at Work can look like: Healthy Eye Care

Safety at Work can look like: Healthy Eye Care

Are you using your body in ways that promote health and leave you free from injury? 

Contribution by Sirini Kularatne-Samarapathi Specialist Counsellor

When looking into a screen, we are most of the time looking at a particular colour(s) and also the same distance from the eyes to the screen. This is highlighted more if we are working from home. In a space where there are people are popping into your office space or passing by, we tend to move our eyes away from the screen to engage with them, or we call it ‘distraction’. Although this might seem like a not a good thing, however, continuously looking at a screen without any relief from it is also not so healthy for our eyes which can tire after a while. 

woman wearing eyeglasses with black frame

In order to assist with easing the tension from especially the back of the head and the eyes, we have found the below techniques very useful. 

  • When working and using technology,  look at something green every 30 minutes. When possible, look out the window.  If not outside, even gaze  at a pot plant for 20 seconds. This should release some of the tension in the back of the head. 
  • Once every half hour (if possible) to look at something far as the eye can see for up to 10 secs. This would assist with moving the lens to look at a different distance, and gives our eyes a chance to reset a little and relax the eye muscles. Looking at computers most of the time forces  us to  look at a specific distance where the screen is. If we are looking at a certain distance continuously, it can tend to bring tiredness to the eyes. Looking at something  as far away as  possible assists with movement of the eye. 
  • The environment of your office also makes a difference to eye strain and brain health. Declutter your space and keep it free from visual  distraction as much as possible. Think of ways of containinclutter with folders, boxes, drawers etc to  minimise the number of things that you perceive in your field of vision e.g. 15 files are different to 1 folder (the 15 files can go inside the 1 folder). This can also be quite an exciting way of bringing some colour and creativity into your space!