Now that so many people are working from home, due to stay-at-home orders across the country, you no longer have the cues you would have in an office to take breaks or to stop working at the end of the day. Not only does this result in letting work creep into your personal life, it can also be rough on your eyes.

Working at home can lead to increased screen time. For example:

• You may immediately check your phone or email when you wake up in the morning
• You have no commute, so you get right to work.
• You’re staring at your computer for longer periods of time because you’re not being called into in-person meetings
• You’re not being interrupted by coworkers walking by and engaging you in conversation
• You’re helping your kids with their online homework
• You’re staying longer at your desk because there’s nowhere else to go

When you do stop working, because you’re spending more hours at home than usual, chances are good that you’re watching a movie or TV or having online meet-ups with your friends and extended family. Translation? You’re still staring at a screen!

Often, even before the end of the day, your eyes may be looking red and feeling dry, itchy, tired or burning. The good news is you can relieve all of these symptoms with eye drops.

Clear Eyes® Complete 7 Symptoms  Complete relieves redness and also dryness, itch, irritation, burning and watery eyes. If you wear contacts, either remove them before using these eye drops or choose Clear Eyes® Contact Lens Multi-Action Relief.

You can also prevent some eye strain just by making minor adjustments to your day. We know you’re juggling a lot right now, so you may not be able to do all the things on this list. That’s okay. Choose what works best for you—every little bit helps.  Here are a few tips to relieve eye strain:

Place your computer monitor at or slightly below eye level.

If you’re using a laptop, you may want to use a separate monitor that’s placed higher than your laptop to ease the strain on your eyes and neck. You can also place your laptop on a riser, so it’s a few inches above your table or desk, and use a separate keyboard.

Reduce glare on the screen.

Most homes have something many offices do not—sunlight! Working in good natural light is often easier on your eyes—and more refreshing for your soul—than working under fluorescent office lighting. Beware, though, glare is a common cause of eye strain, no matter what the source of light. Position your workspace so sunlight or home lighting does not cause a glare on your computer screen. If you can’t adjust your workspace, especially at certain times of the day when sun streams in, at least adjust your window shades, blinds or curtains and use indoor lighting instead.

Take breaks.

As mentioned already, without the normal cues in an office space filled with coworkers, it can be easy to work through a few hours straight at home without taking a break away from your computer screen. Schedule breaks into your day, if necessary, or set a timer on your computer or phone that reminds you to look up, get up and walk around.

If you can’t leave your desk or workspace at least once an hour, be sure to give your eyes a break every 20 minutes. Look at an object—in your home or outside your window—at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Roll your eyes clockwise and counterclockwise to help you refocus and relieve eye strain.

Don’t forget to blink!

Did you know you blink much less when looking at a screen? Blinking is your body’s natural way of replenishing the moisture in your eyes, which helps keep them from becoming dry and irritated. When you blink, tears spread across your eyes to clean, moisturize and protect your eyes and vision. Remind yourself to blink throughout the day, especially if your feel your eyes drying out. If blinking alone doesn’t help relieve your dry eyes, try Clear Eyes® Advanced Dry & Itchy Relief, which contains sodium hyaluronate, a form of hyaluronic acid, for advanced comfort. These drops offer up to 12 hours of soothing comfort.

Most importantly, as you’re working from home during this challenging time, give yourself a break. Being less than perfect during a global pandemic is more than okay. Take care of yourself and your loved ones, and know that while you’re working and staying at home, you really are making a difference.