The 20-20-20 eye-rest routinewellnessroutine

An eye wellness routine for screen-heavy daily life. Use 20-20-20 to rest briefly and often.

If you look at the screen for too long, your eyes feel strained and your forehead pulls. This is because the eye's accommodative and ciliary muscles are constantly focused on the near distance. Blinking also drops below 15 times per minute, drying out the cornea. The 20-20-20 rule is the simplest way to give your eyes a break without any equipment. On days when we share a smartphone, the strain on our eyes doubles.

No need to wait for an eye exam, you can start using it right at your desk today. Eye fatigue does not occur all at once in the evening, but accumulates from the afternoon. All you need is a timer and you can get started without any equipment.

Blue light blocking glasses are only a supplementary measure. 20-20-20 allows the adjusting muscle itself to rest, so it does not conflict even when used with glasses. Adjusting the screen brightness to match the surrounding environment reduces eye strain.

When the timer rings, I look out the window.

Set an alarm every 20 minutes. Stand up and look far out the window, at the end of the hallway, at the sky line for 20 seconds. Above 6 m, the accommodative muscles relax. In the meantime, blink your eyes slowly and intentionally twice.

Place the monitor 40 to 70 cm away from eye level, and if the top of the screen is parallel to your eyes, bend your neck less. The rule is no screen time for 20 seconds.

Relax the muscles around your eyes

After 20 seconds, close your eyes, block the light with your palms, and rest for another 10 seconds. Tension accumulated in the forehead and temples is released. It is especially effective when eye fatigue peaks between 2 and 4 p.m.

Artificial tears are only used when your eyes are extremely dry. If you use them on a regular basis, your eyes produce fewer tears on their own. If you use two monitors, turn your back to both and look toward the window for 20 seconds. If you wear contact lenses, just being conscious of the number of times you blink can reduce corneal dryness.

Afternoon is the hardest time on the eyes

As your blood sugar levels rise and fall after lunch, your eyelids become heavy and you blink less often. If you follow 20-20-20 especially strictly from 2 p.m., you will notice a difference in eye strain around the time you get off work. If you don't have a window seat, look for an object in the distance at the end of the hallway or beyond your office door. 20 seconds may be short, but doing it ten times a day will give your eyes more than three minutes of rest.

Your eyes can't rest all day. Taking just 20 seconds out of 20 minutes can make a difference in your evening stiffness. During meetings, you can look at the window wall instead of the camera. Starting this afternoon, try turning on just one timer.

When you leave work, feel if your eyes feel stiff. The difference is the effectiveness of this routine. Starting this afternoon, turn on a timer and look out the window for 20 seconds. Your eyes can't rest all day.