One thing we’re told over and over as creators is how we must harness the power of social media but what no one ever mentions is how to protect your eyes when doing it. In addition to creating top-notch content which requires hours of editing, downloading, uploading, and tagging, you’ve got to be posting, liking, direct messaging and engaging with your followers.
This means oodles of time staring at a screen.
And. That. Is. Not. Good.
Demanding constant up-close vision like this can have an adverse effect on not only your sight, but it can give you headaches, affect your sleep, and give you dry, itchy, and tired eyes.
How to stop the vicious cycle?
It starts with being aware that it’s unhealthy to treat your eyes this way and then taking the next step to actually do something about it.
The following are some tips to keep your peepers happy and healthy:
Take Breaks. If you’re sitting at your computer for hours on end, and never looking away it’s going to be recipe for disaster. I know it’s tempting to just ignore that aching feeling in the back of your eyeballs, but don’t.
Set yourself an alarm to get up from your computer for a few minutes, step outside and focus on something far away. Far sight requires the use of different muscles than near sight and it will rejuvenate your eyes. Experts suggest the 20-20-20 rule which means for every 20 minutes using a screen, look at something 20 feet away from you for a total of 20 seconds.
If that’s not doable, try at least taking a break every hour or two and giving yourself five or ten minutes of focusing away from the screen. Set your alarm on your phone or get an app like iRestFree to keep you in check.
Do exercises. Check out these great workouts for your eyes from CNET.com which will help ease eye strain.
Get Computer Glasses. If you find you have headaches, it’s possible you may need computer glasses – so get checked by a doctor.
One Hour Before Bed Go Screen-Free. Put away your phone and laptop one hour before bed. Research has shown that staring at a screen before you lay your head down affects your sleep.
Take action now, your eyes will thank you!
Main photo credit: iStock.com/Sharamand
First photo credit: iStock.om/LiudmilaChernetska
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Alyssa Collins hails from Minnesota, where snowy days were the perfect excuse to stay warm inside and write. Over the years, she turned that joy into a career and has authored numerous articles for various publications (under pen names). Email Alyssa via alyssa@ynot.com.
