Working on the computer all day is a reality for many in the corporate world. Even those people who work from home are glued to their computers in order to answer emails or instant message with clients.

Being on the computer constantly can lead to headaches and even trigger migraine attacks which are productivity killers. Computer eye strain and its negative symptoms impact anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of people who work on the computer for long hours. This can be prevented though, with the following tips.

Take Breaks

Taking breaks throughout the day will allow your eyes to rest instead of staring at the computer. This is not only a time for your eyes to be revitalized as getting up and walking around has been shown to boost productivity. Stretching your back and neck can also have positive impacts as reducing tension can relieve pain of all kinds. A good way to take a break is to avoid looking at your screen. You could be writing an email but avert your eyes and proofread the email once you are done. You are going to need decent typing skills to do this but it will not reduce your productivity while giving your eyes much needed rest.

Perform Eye Exercises

There is a rule of thumb when working at a computer screen and that is that you should look away for 20 seconds at least once every 20 minutes. Looking at something across the room will give your eyes a time to rest instead of intensely focusing on the computer screen. One of the simplest ways to reduce computer eye strain is to blink more than you usually do. This prevents dryness and irritation to the eyes by keeping them lubricated as they can dry out from staring at the screen for too long without blinking. A person working at a computer should also have some sort of lubricating eye drops as well.

Wear Eyewear for Light Sensitivity and Migraine

Light sensitivity is a major symptom and the workplace can be a haven for troublesome light including overhead fluorescent lights, computer screens, and sunlight bouncing off the nearby building. Fortunately, the light that aggravates light sensitivity and migraine is a relatively small portion of the light spectrum. Wearing migraine glasses can help for those who encounter light at work by reducing the painful spectrum of light.

Modifying Your Computer Settings

Eye strain can come from things like you having your text too small on your computer. Working with too bright of a screen can also cause strain so dimming this can be the answer to all of your eye and migraine problems. If you write quite a bit then black text on a white background allows the eyes to work in a lesser capacity than if the background was green with bright green text. The position that you sit in can also contribute to your eye strain so modify your work station to make sure you have correct posture.

Written by Natalie Bracco for Working Mother and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.