Suffering Eye Strain and Finding Solutions

Back some 6 months ago or more, I wrote a piece about eye strain and how to try and avoid it. This was pretty much because I myself had come to the very stark realization that I was facing, not just the symptoms of, but the effects of eye strain.  If you have done any reading up on the topic you will know that this includes anything from itching eyes, to blurred vision, added light sensitivity, and more. That was 6 months ago.

6 Months On. Any resolution?

So fast forward to the current day, and where am I? Am I any better off? Has a trip to the opticians and a pair of eye glasses fixed the issue? The reality is no, but why?

The root cause of eyestrain isn’t just the fact that I sit at the computer screen some 9 hours a day and then plus some, but it’s that combined with a general state of mind and attitude.  The root cause is as much how you live, and more importantly work, but also how you behave.

In my case, the basics of looking away from the screen every few minutes, taking 5 minute breaks every hour, reducing screen resolution and locking out the screen to force you to not work, are long gone options. Nothing more than a wholesale sea-change in the way that I think about work, and my eyes will fix the issue.

So why did it take so long to come to this conclusion?

Well since June, I have been locked in a cycle of work-work-work. Life never has ideal timings, and between working, changing jobs and roles, and generally trying to stay on top of life, money and more, I have neglected myself.  However selfish it sounds, you do need to look after #1, because no one else will, and loved ones nagging will only ends in tears.

In addition, despite having a long Christmas break, which as yet has not ended, and offers a glimmer of hope, my eyes are still not in best shape.  Light sensitivity is high, close range focus sucks, and although I was always long-sighted, just seems worse than usual, vision without my glasses feels like my eye muscles are being stretched and are tense. Moreover, occassional eye ache keeps reminding me i do need rest-rest-rest.

The Desperate Need for a Solution

The drastic measure of curbing computer use completely outside of the office, and disconnecting mentally and physically from work personally doesn’t seem like the last and only solution, though I am sure there are those that would disagree. Yet, even if it is, at this juncture seems a little unrealistic to acheive.

Not just as part of my “new year’s resolutions”, which I never set, acheive or adhere to, and is merely a coincidence of timing, I am planning a change, not just in my routine, by in the activities I partake in. Getting involved in other things I love, than being stuck at the computer screen, should encourage me use my eyes in safer ways, and in less testing ways.

With a return to the gym, which will not just get my mind, body and spirit i better shape, I am hoping I will have the energy and focus to achieve my second goal which will be to properly rest myself. That’s to say that I am going to hit the sack earlier, and rise earlier, to fit in the gym session every morning. Being in bed earlier wont just get me more shuteye, but will reduce the length of time I might be stuck at a bright computer screen in a dark environment which only enhances the glare and impact thereof.

Better Solutions to Eye Strain?

So what do you think? Are these good options? Are they easily attainable and to adhere to? I think so, and with luck I will, if not completely fix my eye strain, at least reduce the prevalence of symptoms that impair my ocular function.

It seems a bit crazy to be talking about and “debating” this, as you only have 1 set of eyes, and once they are gone, they are gone! But nothing is ever simple in life, and cause of the problem is always a much bigger hill to climb.

So I suppose, we will have to check back in another 6 moths and see how it has all gone. Hopefully I will be a happier chappy!