Those of us who operate our own home businesses do NOT have the benefit of a human resources department or health and safety committee to make sure that we are looking after our physical bodies during the work day. Unless we tend to things ourselves, concerns like ergonomics, how long we sit in one place, lighting, etc. can go unattended to. I know that I speak from personal experience when I confess that exhaustion and eye strain can be a reality for a hard-working home business owner!
It has been relatively recently that I have started wearing glasses and being more attentive to what I put my eyes through in the course of a long work day. A few years ago, when I worked the more “traditional” job(s)—there were more built-in parameters on the work day and I was younger and less likely to over-work. Now, I can spend hours working and looking at a computer screen, reading, or forcing myself to use my eyes for work. Sore, dry eyes and the blurred vision are just some of the symptoms that I have been working my eyes too hard.
It helps to vary your work day activities so that you are not looking at a paper or computer screen for too long. Having as much natural light as possible can also help. Unfortunately, many of us home business owners do big chunks of our work at night—whether because that is when we can find the time or because the household has settled down enough to allow us some uninterrupted focus—and all that straining to see and work in a room that is not well-lit can be incredibly hard on our eyes! Make sure your work-space is well lit for the conditions you are working in, and if you need glasses or eyewear, be sure to wear them while you work.
Take frequent breaks, rest your eyes when they become too tired, and allow yourself some time off to recuperate. I know that as I write these suggestions, I am the first person who should be listening to my own advice, however, we do need to remember that if we don’t take care of our eyes in our home business, who will? Finally, if you are having trouble or feel you might be suffering from eye strain (or need to get or change your glasses), see your medical provider instead of putting it off.
See Also the HEALTH Blog