Guide · body · 3 min read
Tired eyes after a long day of screens, for people who have tried everything, on a day that started badly
Eye strain is mostly about distance and blinking, not about blue light glasses.
Start here
Here is what tends to work, in the order that helps most.
A day that started badly does not have to stay that way.
If you only do one thing from this page, do the first point below. It is first because it removes the most friction for the least effort.
What helps
Use a bigger font instead of leaning closer. Most people scale the font down to fit more on screen, then pay for it.
If your eyes feel gritty every day, get them tested. An uncorrected small prescription causes more strain than any screen.
Your eyes focus at one distance all day. Look at something far away for twenty seconds every twenty minutes — out of a window, not across the room.
What to do when it does not work
Move the screen slightly further away and lower than eye level. Both reduce the work your eyes are doing.
Warm, dim light in the evening is more comfortable than bright overhead light, regardless of what it does to your sleep.
You blink about a third as often when reading on a screen. Deliberately blinking a few times re-wets the surface.
Questions people ask
Do blue light glasses work?
Evidence is weak. They are not harmful, but the bigger wins are distance, blinking and a decent font size.
Written for people who want the practical version. No accounts, no tracking, no newsletter wall.
If this is not the angle you need, try How to study when you cannot concentrate — a gentle, practical guide, when you are at home and cannot settle, Working in a noisy place without losing your mind — a realistic guide, when your attention is scattered or Ten minutes outside is not a wellness cliché — a realistic guide, when you want to be left alone.