3 productivity tips to prevent eye strain & pain from your computer

By Karen Post March 7, 2011
Karen Post

Being a high performing entrepreneur means producing a massive volume of work and for most of you and me this involves computer work.

Last week I freaked out. My eyes were so strained and hurt so much, I could not work after a couple hours on my computer. This was happening every day. I could not figure out what was going on.

Was I going blind? Was my vision radically changing? Was I over using my eyes? (I had just finished a very intense 30 page book proposal) or was I stressing and holding the tension in eyes? I was clueless, but very concerned, because my livelihood is dependent on working on the a computer.

I had to find a solution. So I did some research. Apparently this is a growing problem among professionals as we now live on monitors large and very small, from our computers to our smart phones, the average professional person is starring at a digital screen 8 plus hours a day, 7 days a week.

All of these things have helped, but the last one was the big game changer for me.

  1. Too much light will mess you up and fluorescent lights are killers. Try working in a darker space with less bright light.
     
  2. Get your eyes checked – as you age they will change. Some people are even getting special computer glasses with corrective lens. Your driving or reading glasses are both different distances and will not help you.
     
  3. Don’t work more than 2 hours at time, then take a 5 minute break. Shut your eyes, throw some cucumbers on them, chill and then get back at it.
     
  4. Consider buying a larger monitor. I bought a refurbished HP on line for $400 and it’s 40 big inches!
     

HERE’S THE BIG DISCOVERY!
I figured it out in the steam room at the gym. When I was in a totally steamy, moist place, including my eyes, there was no pain. My eyes were too dry. I was so focused on the screen, not blinking and not producing enough tears. I raced to the drug store and bought some artificial tears, threw in some drops, OMG! What a difference.

I’m doing all the stuff above and the fake tears. I feel a lot better and can work again.

Here’s to seeing and producing GRT work!!

Karen Post is the Branding Diva, co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, and author of Brain Tattoos.
www.oddpodz.com
Copyright 2011 Author retains ownership. All Rights Reserved.

Category: Innovation, Creativity, Miscellaneous
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