By 3 p.m., your eyes feel dry, heavy and a little gritty. You have been staring at spreadsheets, email and video calls since 9. This is often called digital eye strain, and it is one of the most common complaints among people who work at a computer. The good news: small changes at your desk can make a real difference.
Why screens tire your eyes
- You blink less. When you focus on a screen, you tend to blink less often and less completely, so the surface of your eyes dries out faster.
- Your focusing muscles never rest. Looking at something close for hours keeps the eye muscles working without a break.
- Glare and contrast. Bright screens in dim rooms, or windows reflecting on your monitor, make your eyes work harder.
- Dry office air. Air conditioning and heating pull moisture from the air, and from your eyes.
9 desk habits that help
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Set a recurring reminder until it becomes automatic.
- Blink on purpose. A few slow, full blinks every so often help spread your natural tears across the eye.
- Place your monitor about an arm's length away, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. Looking slightly down exposes less of the eye surface to the air.
- Match screen brightness to the room. Your screen should not look like a light source in a dim room.
- Cut glare. Position the monitor so windows are to the side, not behind or in front of you.
- Make text bigger. Zoom in rather than leaning in and squinting.
- Point vents away from your face, and consider a small desk humidifier.
- Take real breaks. A 5-minute walk away from all screens (including your phone) every hour gives your eyes a proper rest.
- Keep your prescription up to date. Glasses made for reading distance are not always right for screen distance. Ask your eye doctor about computer glasses.
Support from the inside, too
Habits help with the outside of the problem. Many people also want daily support for how their eyes feel from within, especially when long screen days are not optional.
Eye Empower is a daily formula designed to support eye comfort, comfortable-feeling moisture and everyday visual wellness on screen-heavy days.* It combines 16 botanicals rooted in traditional Chinese herbal practice, including chrysanthemum flower, buddleia flower, eriocaulon flower and sickle-pod senna seed, with supporting herbs such as Chinese skullcap and bupleurum.*
Unlike many eye supplements that cite research on a single ingredient, the complete Eye Empower formula was evaluated in a 4-week, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled study by Citruslabs. At week 3, 62.96% of participants reported improvement in perceived eye irritation and 55.56% reported improvement in perceived eye fatigue. (Results are participant-reported; individual experiences vary.)
How to use it: take 3 capsules daily with water. Keeping the bottle on your desk is the easiest way to make it a habit. One bottle lasts 15 days; the 2-bottle pack covers 30 days, past the study's 3-week checkpoint, and every order has a 30-day money-back guarantee, even if opened.
When to see an eye doctor
Book an appointment if you have eye pain, sudden changes in vision, sensitivity to light, redness that does not go away, discharge, or symptoms that keep getting worse. Screen strain should ease with rest; persistent problems deserve a proper exam.
Related: Eye Drops vs. Eye Supplements: Which Do You Need?
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing or taking medication, talk to your healthcare professional before use. This article is for general information and is not medical advice.