Screen Fatigue: 5 Solutions for Eyestrain (and More!)
Too much screen time?
With the average adult spending over seven hours a day on screens, it's no surprise that issues like eyestrain, headaches, and fatigue are rising. But what if something as simple as adding plants to your space could make a difference to your health and your eyes?
To better understand how electronic devices are affecting our wellbeing, let’s examine daily online habits that strain our eyes and cognitive function.
Screen Use: Habits and Consequences
Here’s what a typical workday might look like: You wake up and immediately start scanning emails or news feeds on your phone. Then you head to your office, where you spend hours in front of a laptop or desktop. And at the end of the day, you ‘relax’ by streaming shows on YouTube or scrolling through social media on your tablet. Sound familiar?
Excessive screen time can cause physical and mental health issues including: insomnia, neck and back pain, reduced creativity, and cognitive decline. However, office employees are especially at risk for eye strain.
Digital Eye Strain: Symptoms and Sources
Overuse of computers and smartphones results in eyestrain, which can cause symptoms like itching, dryness, redness, or fatigue in the eyes, along with headaches, nearsightedness, and blurred vision. Digital Eye Strain is commonly referred to as ‘Computer Vision Syndrome’, which defines a collection of signs or symptoms with a direct cause: high-energy visible (HEV) light. Even though this ‘blue light’ is emitted from the sun, the artificial sources of HEV–such as computer monitors–are more concerning due to the proximity of our eyes to the source (1).
“Providing a visual connection with nature can go above and beyond the health of your eyes.”
A Green Solution: Wellness for the Eyes and More
Medical experts at Cedars Sinai recommend periodically resting your eyes away from digital devices and keeping HEV emitting sources an arm’s length away (2). Providing a visual connection with nature can go above and beyond the health of your eyes. Here’s 5 Improvements you can expect from having plants in your office:
1) Resting your eyes on living plants relieves eye muscle contraction that comes from short visual focus on computer screens.
2) When you see the color green found in nature, it helps you relax by lowering your systolic blood pressure.
3) Your brain receptors respond more positively to the naturally occurring green of living foliage, compared to the response of seeing artificial plants or photos of nature.
4) Connecting with natural elements–like indoor plants–helps lower your heart rate during stressful moments at work (3).
5) When plants are added to your indoor environment, you're likely to feel more focused and experience improved mood, as opposed to being in a room without them.
By simply adding living plants to your workspace, you can create a healthier, more calming environment that supports the health of your eyes, body, and mind. Having indoor plants isn’t just a nice touch—it’s a smart investment in your well-being and productivity.
Written by: Terri Bonstrom, BIOME Horticulturist & Marketing
References:
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/c/computer-vision-syndrome.html
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