For many of us, screens have become an unavoidable part of the working day.
Laptops, desktop monitors, tablets and mobile phones allow us to work efficiently, communicate with colleagues and access information almost instantly. However, spending long periods concentrating on screens can leave our eyes feeling tired, dry and uncomfortable.
This is particularly relevant for office workers, remote workers and anyone who regularly uses Display Screen Equipment (DSE). While using a computer screen is not generally considered to damage your eyesight, prolonged screen use can be visually demanding and may contribute to symptoms commonly described as digital eye strain. These can include tired or sore eyes, blurred vision, headaches, difficulty focusing and dry or irritated eyes.
The good news is that looking after your eyes at work does not need to involve major changes. A few adjustments to your working habits and workstation can make your working day considerably more comfortable.
Here are three practical ways to support your eye health at work.
Give Your Eyes Regular Breaks
When we become focused on a task, it is surprisingly easy to spend an hour or more staring at the same screen without looking away.
Your eyes are constantly adjusting and focusing throughout the day. When you spend prolonged periods concentrating on something at a relatively fixed distance, such as a computer monitor, the visual system receives very little variation.
Screen use can also affect the way we blink. When concentrating on a computer or video call, we may blink less effectively, contributing to dry and uncomfortable eyes.
One simple approach is the 20-20-20 rule.
Every 20 minutes, look at something approximately 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
It does not need to interrupt your working day. Look out of a window, across the office or towards something at the other side of the room. The aim is simply to change your visual focus temporarily rather than continuously looking at something close to you. The College of Optometrists recommends the 20-20-20 approach as a simple habit for screen users.
It is also worth building more substantial screen breaks into the working day.
Get up to make a drink, speak to a colleague rather than sending another Teams message, complete a task away from your computer or take your lunch break away from your desk.
The Health and Safety Executive recommends shorter, more frequent breaks rather than relying solely on occasional long breaks. As an example, five to ten minutes away from continuous screen work each hour may be preferable to waiting two hours before taking a longer break.
Importantly, a break from one screen should not always mean immediately looking at another one.
Checking your phone for ten minutes may give you a break from work, but your eyes are still concentrating on another digital display at close range.
Use some of your breaks as genuine screen-free time.
Make Sure Your Workstation Works for You
Eye health and workplace ergonomics are closely connected.
Where your monitor is positioned can influence not only how comfortably you see the screen, but also the position of your head, neck and upper body.
For example, if your screen is too far away, you may find yourself leaning forwards or squinting to read smaller text. If it is positioned incorrectly, reflections or glare may make information more difficult to see. A screen positioned too high or too low may also encourage unnecessary changes in head and neck position.
The NHS advises positioning a computer screen just below eye level as one measure that may help people experiencing dry eyes, while HSE guidance recommends checking screen position, lighting conditions and workstation adjustment as part of managing DSE-related eye symptoms.
Consider:
- Is the screen comfortably positioned in front of you?
- Can you read the text without leaning forwards?
- Is the brightness comfortable for the surrounding environment?
- Is there glare from a window or overhead lighting?
- Are you constantly looking down at a laptop?
- Are you working comfortably rather than adapting your posture to your equipment?
These may sound like small details, but employees often adapt themselves to a poorly arranged workstation without realising it.
That is where a professional Display Screen Equipment assessment can be extremely valuable.
At Corporate Personal Wellbeing, our DSE assessments look beyond a simple checklist. They consider the individual employee, their workstation, their equipment, their working environment and how they actually complete their job.
Assessments can be completed remotely or face to face, with practical recommendations provided to help employees create a more comfortable and sustainable workstation. Remote assessments are conducted live, allowing the assessor to see how the employee works and provide individual recommendations rather than relying purely on a generic online form.
This becomes particularly important with hybrid working. A good workstation in the office does not compensate for regularly spending several days working from a laptop at the kitchen table.
HSE guidance confirms that DSE requirements can apply to employees working permanently from home as well as those routinely splitting their time between home and the workplace. Where the regulations apply, employers should assess the individual’s DSE arrangements.
A DSE assessment can help identify issues involving screen positioning, lighting, equipment and the wider workstation before discomfort becomes part of an employee’s normal working day.
Don’t Ignore Changes in Your Eyesight
It can be tempting to assume that tired eyes or headaches are simply part of working with computers.
They should not be.
DSE work can sometimes make people aware of eyesight problems that they had not previously noticed.
If you frequently find yourself squinting at your monitor, experiencing blurred vision, struggling to change focus between your screen and objects further away, or regularly developing headaches while working, consider having your eyesight checked.
The same applies if you notice persistent dryness, irritation or discomfort.
For employees classed as DSE users, there are also specific workplace provisions around eyesight testing. HSE guidance states that employers must provide and pay for an eyesight test when a DSE user requests one. This should be a full eye and eyesight examination carried out by an optometrist or doctor.
An eye test is not simply about discovering whether you need glasses.
Regular eye examinations can help identify changes in your vision and give you the opportunity to discuss symptoms that may be affecting you at work.
If glasses or contact lenses have already been prescribed, make sure they remain suitable for your needs rather than simply continuing with an old prescription because you can still “get by”.
And if symptoms are persistent, worsening or affecting your ability to work comfortably, seek appropriate professional advice rather than continually changing your monitor settings and hoping the problem disappears.
Eye Health Should Be Part of Workplace Wellbeing
We often talk about workplace wellbeing in terms of physical activity, nutrition, mental health and musculoskeletal problems. Eye health deserves a place in that conversation too.
The modern working environment places considerable visual demands on employees. While we cannot simply remove computers from the workplace, we can change the way they are used.
Regular screen breaks, a correctly arranged workstation and appropriate eyesight checks are three relatively straightforward measures that can make a significant difference to day-to-day comfort.
Employers also have an important role.
HSE guidance requires employers to assess DSE workstations for employees who use DSE daily as part of their normal work for continuous periods of an hour or more. Assessments should consider the workstation, equipment, working environment, job demands and any individual requirements, with action taken where risks are identified.
Corporate Personal Wellbeing’s workplace DSE assessments help organisations turn those requirements into practical action.
Rather than simply asking whether a monitor is at the correct height, our assessments consider how the employee interacts with their whole workstation and identify realistic changes that can improve comfort at work. Assessments are available remotely or face to face, with personalised recommendations and follow-up support where required.
Looking after your eyes should not start when they become uncomfortable.
Make eye health part of your normal working routine. Take regular breaks, make sure your workstation is properly set up and respond to changes in your eyesight when you notice them.
Small changes throughout the working day can help make screen-based work healthier, more comfortable and more sustainable.