Working from home damages our eyes. Here’s how you can protect your vision

Working from home is here to stay, and the debate over the pros and cons is not likely to end anytime soon, but there’s one factor about WFH that we rarely talk about: our eyesight.

All About Vision, a website site devoted to eye care, conducted a survey of 1,000 Americans, a third of whom worked hybrid, a third of whom worked remotely, and a third of whom worked in person.

They found that, on average, 68% of remote workers said they noticed new eye problems since working from home. On average, remote workers spend 13 hours a day on screen compared to on-site employees who spend 11 hours on screen. In addition, a quarter of remote workers say they feel unable to step away from their screens because of work pressure.

The study recommended the following to protect your vision:

• Whenever possible, avoid screens.
• If you can’t, take frequent breaks, especially if you’re spending long stretches looking at a screen that is 24 inches away or closer. The 20-20-20 rule means 20-second breaks every 20 minutes to look at an object 20 feet away.
• Use blue-light-blocking glasses.
• Turn on Night Mode on your devices and don’t use them immediately before bedtime.