For the past nine months, the coronavirus pandemic has been changing our day to day activities and our approaches to even the simplest tasks. With lockdowns happening across the country and limited social interactions, there has been a drastic increase in the amount of time the average person is spending in front of a screen. Binge-watching TV series seems to be the norm, classes and all schoolwork are being conducted online, and work environments are now almost all virtual.

Many companies, both big and small have switched to a work from home approach to keep their staff safe and to comply with social distancing measures. This has optometrists concerned, as the long hours spent looking at screens can lead to potential eye-related issues. Headaches, watery eyes, and general eye strain are some of the most common ailments, but they can range in severity.

Here are five tips to help reduce work-at-home eye strain. 

1. Better posture  

One of the main reasons for eye strain is your posture while working on the computer. Most people slouch in their chairs or hover over their computer, both of which can cause stress to the eyes. Sitting upright with your back touching the chair and your feet planted firmly on the floor (if possible) is the best way to work in front of a computer and not stress your eyes for long hours. With the correct posture, your eyes can comfortably see the screen without straining to focus. 

Poor ergonomic alignment forces your neck and upper back muscles to tighten. This tension restricts healthy blood flow and nerve signals to your head and eyes.

Slouching also brings your face too close to the monitor at awkward angles. As a result, the ciliary muscles inside your eyes must work overtime to keep text sharp.

Adjusting your chair height provides an easy fix. Position the top of your monitor roughly 15 to 20 degrees below eye level. This downward gaze allows your eyelids to naturally cover more of the ocular surface, reducing tear evaporation. At the same time, it keeps your spine aligned and your visual system completely relaxed.

2. Maintain an eye-to-screen distance  

Just like social distancing, your eyes must be distanced from any screen. As the highlighted proper posture above, your body should be situated far enough from the screen to allow for the distance required. Additionally, you can keep elbow-length distance between your face and the screen. With this space, your eyes are not under intense lighting and pressure from long hours of working. 

Placing your display roughly 20 to 28 inches away—about an arm’s length—positions your eyes in their optical sweet spot. Sitting too close forces your ocular muscles into a state of continuous convergence and accommodation, creating that familiar dull ache behind the brow by mid-afternoon. Establishing this physical buffer softens the impact of high-energy visible light, preserves your natural depth of focus, and prevents the rapid visual burnout associated with prolonged close-range tasks.

3. Use screen shields 

If your screen is too bright or too dim, the light can affect your eyes terribly, especially when you’re working for long periods of time. The best way to avoid exposure to bad lighting is to get a screen shield that will help you correct the way light reflects off your screen. With screen shields, you can use your laptop while working and not worry about strain to your eyes with lighting issues. 

Harsh ambient glare from overhead fluorescent lighting and nearby windows creates intense visual static, forcing your pupils to constantly dilate and constrict as they fight surface reflections. A quality matte anti-glare screen filter diffuses these harsh reflections, softening the contrast and neutralizing scattered blue-light wavelengths before they hit your cornea. Pairing a protective shield with balanced room lighting eliminates the frustrating visual clutter that triggers tension headaches, helping you read crisp text comfortably all day long.

4. Increase the font size 

Another mistake a lot of people make is squinting while working from home. Increasing the size of your font or the size of the workboxes you use often will ensure that the documents you work on are displayed in comfortable font size, preventing you from squinting and adding additional stress to your eyes. 

Squinting contracts the orbicularis oculi muscles around your eyelids and brow, triggering tension headaches and facial muscle fatigue within minutes. Scaling up your system display settings to at least 125% or zooming in on browser windows lets your eyes track words effortlessly without leaning forward or narrowing your gaze. High-contrast settings, such as crisp dark text against an off-white background, further enhance character legibility and keep your visual processing smooth and strain-free.

5. Take frequent breaks 

Most importantly, make sure you take breaks to relax your eye, and don’t forget to blink regularly. While working, it is quite easy to forget to blink and this can cause strain to your eyes. From time to time, blink consciously or simply take breaks to stretch and relax before you continue working.

Staring intently at digital screens slashes your blink rate by over 60 percent, causing the delicate tear film over your cornea to evaporate and leaving your eyes feeling dry, gritty, and inflamed. Committing to the 20-20-20 rule—pausing every 20 minutes to focus on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds—gives your focusing muscles an immediate reset. Combining these visual pauses with intentional, full blinks or gentle lubricating drops replenishes essential moisture, sweeping away surface irritants and keeping your eyes comfortable throughout demanding workdays.

Conclusion