Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan and Harry’s website has reminders for visitors to take screen breaks. Pic/Getty Images

The right environment

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It’s also important to ensure that your room is well lit and with the light source above you, so that it does not cast a shadow on your screen. Use your screen’s auto-brightness feature so that it isn’t too bright or dark. “Computer vision syndrome, also referred to as digital eye strain, is a group of eye and vision-related problems resulting from screen use. The symptoms include eye strain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes. For the dryness, I advise people to make a conscious effort to blink more often — when you are staring at a screen, your natural blink rate goes down and this can dry your eyes out,” he adds.

Rule of 20s

Echoing the Archewell website’s advice, he suggests what ophthalmologists call the 20-20-20 rule. This involves taking a 20-second break, every 20 minutes, to look at something that’s 20 feet away. “When you focus your vision on the far end of the room or outside the window, for instance, you break the spasm of your eye muscles that are constantly looking at a screen that’s close to you. This can alleviate strain,” he explains. For those who spend extended hours in air-conditioned environments, he suggests using artificial teardrops or washing your eyes with cold, clean water to keep them moisturised.

Hasanain Shikari

And finally, although protective lenses that claim to filter out blue light are being marketed extensively, Dr Shikari advises against them. “Today, modern computers and phone screens already come with filters built into them, which protect your eyes from blue light emissions. If you don’t already use prescription spectacles, I would not recommend wearing zero-power, blue light-blocking lenses while using digital screens,” he concludes.

Yogic intervention

Namita Piparaiya, a yoga and Ayurveda lifestyle specialist at Yoganama suggests these exercises to help relieve eye fatigue.  

>> Palming: This is a foundational practice that you can begin and end your eye exercises routine with. Rub your palms together vigorously to generate heat, and then gently cup your eyes by creating a hollow with your palms. Relax your forehead and eyes and enjoy the warmth and relaxation for a few breaths. When you’re ready to open your eyes, do so by blinking a few times and looking directly at your palms. This exercise relaxes and revitalises the muscles around your eyes. 

>> Sideways viewing: Gently turn your gaze sideways to one side and then to the other. Be fully aware of everything you observe as you shift your vision. This relaxes the muscles that become tense due to constant reading or looking at small text that is very close to you. 

>> Rotational viewing: Move your gaze through its entire range of motion, both clockwise and then anti-clockwise. This helps to balance all the muscles that surround your eyes.