Key takeaways
- Every twenty minutes, look at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds.
- It works by letting the focusing muscles relax, which sustained screen work prevents.
- The interval doubles as a natural break point in a working session.
Overview
The 20-20-20 rule is a simple eye exercise recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology to prevent eye fatigue and strain caused by prolonged use of digital screens. The rule suggests that every 20 minutes of screen time, take a 20-second break and focus on something 20 feet away.
20-20-20 rule for eyes
How does 20-20-20 rule for eyes work?
The 20-20-20 rule helps reduce eye strain by giving your eyes a break from staring at a screen for prolonged periods.
Every 20 minutes, you take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.
This exercise helps to prevent eye fatigue and strain caused by prolonged screen time.
The rule helps relax the eye muscles, which in turn reduces eye strain and dryness. It is a simple way to keep your eyes comfortable. Screen use does not damage the eyes for good: the American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that eye strain does not injure the eye and does not cause permanent damage, so the aim is comfort during the working day.
What does the research say?
There is some research to support the effectiveness of the 20-20-20 rule for reducing eye strain and fatigue, although not much of it.
A study published in Contact Lens & Anterior Eye gave 29 symptomatic computer users software that reminded them to follow the rule. After two weeks, digital eye strain and dry eye symptoms decreased, but the improvement was not maintained one week after the reminders stopped.
An earlier survey of 795 university students in Malaysia, published in 2013, found that looking at far objects in between work was associated with less frequent computer vision syndrome symptoms.
While more research is needed to fully understand the benefits of this rule, it is a simple and easy strategy that many people find helpful for reducing eye fatigue during prolonged computer use.
How FocusBox can help with the 20-20-20 rule?
FocusBox can help you implement the 20-20-20 rule for your eye health.
By using the Pomodoro Timer feature, you can set a work interval of 20 minutes, followed by a 20-second break. During the 20-second break, you can look away from your screen and focus on an object that is 20 feet away from you.
In addition, FocusBox provides ambient sounds and background videos that can make your breaks more relaxing. You can also customize the ambient sounds and background videos to your preference to make your break time more enjoyable and rejuvenating.
By using FocusBox, you can easily incorporate the 20-20-20 rule into your work routine and take care of your eye health while increasing your productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 20-20-20 rule?
Every twenty minutes, look at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds.
Why does it help?
It lets the focusing muscles relax, which sustained close screen work prevents.
Does it help with anything besides eye strain?
It doubles as a natural break point in a working session, which helps attention as well as eyes.
Sources
- Eye Strain: How to Prevent Eye Discomfort (American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- The effects of breaks on digital eye strain, dry eye and binocular vision: Testing the 20-20-20 rule (Aston Research Explorer)
- Computer vision syndrome: a study of knowledge and practices in university students (Nepalese Journal of Ophthalmology)
