Tips For Healthy Screen Use
We live in a world surrounded and driven by technology. From televisions, to laptops, to the phones glued to our hands, screen use is unavoidable. Most of us subject ourselves to blue light before we are introduced to the morning sunlight. Whether it be checking emails, scrolling on social media, or reading the news, the majority of our days are consumed by screen use. This can have significant effects on our headspace and even physical health. Besides feeling socially depleted or unsettled after hours upon hours of scrolling, too much screen use can take a big toll on our eyesight, posture, mental headspace, and overall health. I’ve curated my favorite tips to help use our screens in a healthier way below.
Find Distance
Often times, we don’t even realize just how close we are to our screens. Whether it be while watching a movie on your laptop, or scrolling on social media, sometimes our devices are too close to our eyes. This can cause strain in our eyes, and lead to poor vision and a headache. Technology also emits a lot of radiation, which can be dangerous in high amounts if we keep our devices too close to us for the majority of our day. It would be best to sit with your technology slightly tilted away from you.
Try the 20-20-20 Rule
When we look at our screens all day, we don’t even realize how it can be affecting our eyes, and therefore our brain as well. Trying this rule could be helpful in helping prevent strain in our eyes and its surrounding muscles. While using your technology, every 20 minutes look away from your screen at something 20 feet in the distance for 20 seconds. This will give your eyes a little break and reset to help them from feeling the effects of too much screen use.
Blink!
We don’t even realize it, but when we are focusing on our screens, we actually blink less. This can cause our eyes to feel really dry and uncomfortable. Try to blink regularly as you are spending time on your screen to keep your eyes healthy and feeling well.
