How to Reduce Eye Strain From Computer Use

How to Reduce Eye Strain From Computer Use

If you want to know how to reduce eye strain from computer use, the things that have helped me most are taking regular screen breaks, getting outside in natural light, using a heated eye mask, using lubricating eye drops and changing how I use screens in the evening.

As a Virtual Assistant working from home, I spend hours at a computer every day. Over time, I started experiencing sore, tired eyes, headaches, puffiness and a heavy feeling around my eyes.

I have had eye tests, hospital appointments and regular check-ups with my optician, and I've been reassured that my eyes are medically healthy. I continue to have my eyes monitored.

In this post, I'm sharing the products and habits that helped me reduce eye strain from computer use. These are my personal experiences rather than medical recommendations. If you have persistent eye pain, changes to your vision or concerns about your eyes, speak to an optician or another healthcare professional.

The video below shows the products I mention in this post.

Did Eye Vitamins Help My Tired Eyes?

I took I-Caps eye vitamins for around four months as one part of my approach to managing eye strain from computer use.

I stopped taking my general multivitamin and switched to a supplement designed specifically for eye health. During that time, my eyes gradually felt less sore and the ache improved. I took one capsule a day with food. Each bottle contained 30 tablets and cost approximately £18.25 from Boots.

I don't take the vitamins anymore as my eyes have improved a lot. I feel they gave my eyes a better baseline, but it was the combination of the different changes in this post that ultimately helped me reduce eye strain.

This is based on my personal experience. Supplements aren't a treatment for eye strain or a replacement for professional eye care.

Buy the vitamins I use from Boots

Wedge Pillow for Sleeping (Puffy Eyes and Morning Swelling)

Using a wedge pillow for sleeping made a noticeable difference to how puffy my eyes looked and felt in the morning.

I use my wedge pillow every night and noticed a difference from the first night. My eyelids and under-eye area looked less swollen when I woke up, and my face generally felt less puffy.

I use a firm wedge pillow with a regular pillow on top for comfort. This keeps my head and upper body slightly elevated without putting too much strain on my neck.

I originally tried it because I wanted to see whether sleeping more elevated would help with the heavy, puffy feeling I experienced in the mornings. For me, it did.

This didn't directly reduce eye strain from computer use, but waking up with less puffiness made my eyes feel more comfortable at the start of my working day.

Buy the wedge pillow I use

Does a Heated Eye Mask Help With Dry, Tired Eyes?

A heated eye mask gives me some of the quickest relief when my eyes feel dry, tired or strained during the working day.

I use mine a few times a week, usually later in the afternoon when my eyes are tired but I still have work to do. I heat the mask for 30 seconds and rest it over my closed eyes for 5–10 minutes.

I find the warmth relaxing and it gives me a proper break from looking at a screen. For me, heat feels much better than using something cold.

A warm flannel can work well for me too, but I prefer the eye mask because it doesn't leave my face wet or wipe off my make-up. The one I use also has a removable cover that I can wash regularly.

It doesn't remove the cause of eye strain from computer use, but I've found it a useful way to give my eyes a rest during a long working day.

Buy the heated eye mask I use

Lubricating Eye Drops for Computer Use

I use lubricating eye drops when my eyes feel dry or sore after spending a long time working on a computer.

The drops feel lubricating without being sticky, and the bottle releases a small, controlled drop, which makes them easy to use during my working day.

I keep them on my desk so they're there when my eyes start to feel uncomfortable. I've found them particularly useful on days when I'm spending more time than usual looking at my laptop.

Eye drops are just one of the things that have helped me manage eye strain from computer use, alongside taking regular breaks and changing some of my screen habits.

If you're unsure which eye drops are suitable for you, ask your optician or pharmacist.

Buy the eye drops I use

Do Blue Light Glasses for Sleep Help Evening Screen Use?

I use blue light glasses for sleep in the evenings when I'm scrolling on my phone or watching a film after spending the day working on a computer.

After a full day of screen time, I find that extra screen use in the evening can make my eyes feel more tired. Wearing the glasses makes the screen feel more comfortable for me and has become part of my evening routine.

I mainly use them at night rather than while I'm working during the day. They haven't been a solution to my eye strain from computer use on their own, but they're another small change that I've found helpful.

As with everything in this post, this is simply my personal experience of what has worked for me.

Buy the blue light glasses I use

Can f.lux Help Reduce Eye Strain From Computer Use?

I f.lux is a free piece of software that automatically adjusts the colour and brightness of your computer screen depending on the time of day. As it gets later, it changes your screen to a warmer tone rather than the bright, cooler light you normally see.

I installed f.lux on my PC to make my screen feel more comfortable, particularly when I'm working later in the day. During the day, I barely notice it. In the evening, my screen gradually becomes warmer and less harsh, which I find much easier on my eyes.

It doesn't stop eye strain from computer use, but changing how my screen looks is another small adjustment that has helped me.

It's free, easy to set up and runs automatically in the background, so I don't have to remember to change my screen settings every evening.

Download f.lux (free)

Do You Remember to Take Breaks?

One of the simplest things that helps me reduce eye strain is remembering to take regular breaks from my computer.

When I'm focused on work, hours can pass without me realising how long I've been staring at the screen. That's when my eyes start to feel sore, tired and heavy.

I now work in timed blocks so I'm reminded to stop. When the timer goes off, I get up, look away from the screen and move around for a few minutes. I might refill my water, stretch, make a cup of tea or simply look out of the window. The important thing for me is giving my eyes a proper break from close-up screen work.

I've found that the products in this post are much less helpful if I spend hours at my computer without stopping. Regular breaks are now a key part of how I manage eye strain from computer use.

Can Getting Outside Help With Tired Eyes From Screen Time?

Getting outside and spending some time away from screens has also become part of how I manage tired eyes from computer work.

When you work from home, it's very easy to go straight from bed to your phone and then onto your computer. I try to get outside early in the day, even if it's just eating breakfast in the garden or stepping outside for a few minutes.

I also try not to look at my phone first thing in the morning. I think of myself as having a limited number of “eye credits” each day. If I spend too many of them scrolling before I've even started work, my eyes tend to feel it later.

For me, getting outside is really about giving my eyes time away from close-up screens. Combined with regular breaks throughout the day, it's another simple habit that has helped me reduce eye strain from computer use.

Image description: Eating breakfast outside in natural light while working from home. Getting outdoors early in the day helps reduce eye strain from computer use

Why Do My Eyes Feel So Tired After Working on a Computer?

If you ever find yourself wondering, why do my eyes feel so tired, spending hours focusing on a computer screen could be contributing.

One thing I sometimes do during a screen break is follow a short eye yoga video. It includes simple eye movements that I can do while sitting at my desk and doesn't take long.

For me, the main benefit is that it makes me stop looking at my computer and focus on something different for a few minutes. My eyes often feel more comfortable afterwards.

I don't rely on eye exercises to fix eye strain from computer use, but I find they can be a useful addition to regular screen breaks.

Watch the eye exercises you can do at your desk video. 

Conclusion: How I reduced Eye Strain From Computer Use 

I still experience eye strain, but it's much more manageable now.

For me, learning how to reduce eye strain wasn't about finding one product or quick fix. It was the combination of small changes that made the difference.

Taking regular screen breaks, using a heated eye mask and eye drops when needed, getting outside, adjusting my screen in the evening and being more aware of how much time I spend looking at screens have all helped.

I also tried eye vitamins for four months and started sleeping with a wedge pillow, which became part of the wider changes I made.

If you're struggling with eye strain from computer use, you don't necessarily need to change everything at once. Start with one or two simple changes and see what makes your working day more comfortable.

And if you have persistent eye pain, changes to your vision or you're concerned about your eyes, speak to an optician or healthcare professional.

FAQ

Q. What helps eye strain from computer use?

For me, regular screen breaks, a heated eye mask, lubricating eye drops, spending time away from screens and adjusting my screen in the evening all helped. It was the combination of small changes that made the biggest difference.

Q. How can I reduce eye strain when working on a computer?

I find taking regular breaks particularly important. I also get outside, limit unnecessary screen time and use f.lux in the evening. These habits have helped make long days at my computer more comfortable.

Q. Do heated eye masks help with tired eyes?

I find a heated eye mask very soothing when my eyes feel tired or uncomfortable. It also forces me to close my eyes and take a proper break from my screen for 5–10 minutes.

Q. Why do my eyes feel so tired after working on a computer?

I notice my eyes feel particularly tired after long periods of uninterrupted screen time. Taking regular breaks and spending some time away from close-up screens helps me manage this.

Q. What helped me reduce eye strain while working from home?

There wasn't one magic solution. Changing my screen habits, taking more breaks and trying several of the products mentioned in this post gradually made my eye strain much more manageable.

Now read: 11 Daily Habits to Improve Life and Feel Better Working from Home

And read: My Work From Home Desk Setup: The Essentials I Use Every Day