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Do your eyes are dry, irritated or tired after staring at your screen for long periods of time? If so, you could be too close to or far from your monitor. Let’s talk about the ideal distance to sit from your screen.
The importance of distance
The distance you are sitting in relation to your monitor is crucial since sitting too close or far from your monitor can result in eye strain. The farther away you sit and the further away you are, the smaller the content will appear visible on screen. If you’re not able to discern the content clearly, you’ll strain your eyes to read the smaller texts.
However when you sit too close to the screen, all of the details will be magnified which makes it more difficult to absorb everything. Additionally, this can strain your eyes as you’ll be shifting the eyeballs back and forth frequently and can become exhausting and result in fatigue.
Reading text that is larger in size is easier for your eyes as you won’t be straining. This is why it’s essential to stand at a level from your screen so that everything is clear and sharp. It is not advisable to move your head towards the screen or straining to look at things. One suggestion is to make sure that your default font is one that is sans-serif, since it is the most readable type of font.
If you’re experiencing signs of straining your eyes like blurred sight, headaches, dry eyes or redness, pain or another kind of discomfort, be sure to take a break from using any screens, as soon as you can. You can take a break and breathe in fresh air or lie down for a while and then close your eyes to allow them the chance to relax.
How far to Sit
The most common distance for you to stand away from your screen is an arm’s distance. This is between 20 and 30 inches of your face.
You must be able to be able to read the initial line displayed on the screen at an eye level without having the urge to lean towards the front. Leaning forward places your neck into an awkward posture, which could result in neck discomfort.
If your eyes feel dry and tired after a few minutes, it may not be blinking enough. The average person blinks less when they sit in front of a screen which is why you should increase your blinks to give adequate lubrication.
It is possible that you are open your eyes too wide when you are looking at your screen. If you suspect this is the case, you can try placing your monitor slightly lower than the level of your eyes instead of being at eye level. In this way, you won’t have to stretch your eyes wide in order to view the screen, which could reduce the amount of eye strain.
Multiple Monitors
If you’re using more than one monitor, you’ll be required to keep the 20-30 inches distance between your eyes throughout each of them. Ideally, all of your monitors should be placed at the same height so that you’re not constantly shifting your eyes down and up when you move across screens to the next.
If one monitor isn’t quite as tall as another, you can place something beneath the monitor that is shorter to raise it a little. You could use paper, book or even printing paper or any other flat item that is around. It is also possible to invest in a monitor stand which not only adds height, but also features for organizing.
When you are using a dual-monitor setup You should be seated in the middle so that you are in the middle on both displays. This will mean that you don’t have to pivot your head so much watching back and forward between the two screens. Three monitors is more comfortable as you can put one monitor directly in front of you , and set the others to the sides. It’ll be like making use of an ultra wide monitor.
Make sure that you’re not turning your neck constantly because it could cause neck discomfort. The best way to prevent this is to rotate your chair so that it is facing the monitor you’re staring at. This ensures that your neck in a more neutral posture.
Related: The Best Posture for long-term PC productivity and Gaming
What If I have A Laptop?
The laptop you use isn’t very great for ergonomics as the screen and keyboard are both connected together. The most effective solution is to purchase an external mouse and keyboard.
In this way, you could make use of the laptop as a monitor screen and then you can put it at arm’s distance. You can put something on top of it, for instance, an laptop riser stand to elevate the screen up to eye level, or slightly below the eye level. You can then sit at a comfortable distance with an external keyboard and mouse, and work as you would on desktop computers.
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