#150: Help! My Eyes are so Dry, I Canβt Finish My Work
A lot of patients come to my office because their dry eyes are affecting their ability to work. Some days your eyes may be bothering you so much that you just can't continue to work for another minute. What are you going to do now?
I don't know if you know this, but I spend a lot of time on the computer myself. I wrote a book a few years ago. I write articles for Optometric journals and prepare lectures to present to colleagues. I also have a blog and a website. All of these things can cause me to be on the computer into the wee hours. Often my eyes own eyes are tired, and I feel like I just can't keep going.
I've found some things that really help. I have done a number of blogs to help you adjust your workstation and help you keep working. And, I've prepared a Guide to help you get Digital Eye Strain Relief, download it here. I want to share these secrets with you today because I feel like I'm not the only one spending a ton of time on the computer or the phone.
When you're on these digital devices, you generally don't blink like you normally would. And when you don't blink, you don't moisturize the front surface of our eye with tears. The front of the eye needs to be continuously bathed in tears. It was designed to have moisture on it constantly. When you don't blink regularly, your eyes dry out. I want to share with you a few little tricks I've learned to help you to spend less time staring at your devices.
Tip #1) Dictate your Work
The first tip is to dictate your work. Instead of staring at a computer and typing away, I often use a dictation app. Both my email program and Microsoft word have this feature. I just open up a new document and dictate what I'd like to write.
It's best in the case of dictation to not even look at the screen while your dictating. The dictation app will automatically edit the there's from their's while you move on to the next sentence. Just speak into the microphone and edit it all once your finished. Did you mis-speak? No problem. Just say the sentence again and delete the incorrect one when your done. What could be easier?
Tip #2) Use Transcription
Record your voice and have it transcribed. I like to use a service called rev.com. They have two options to transcribe your video or voice recording. They have human transcription that gives 99% accuracy and artificial intelligence that gives a 5 minute turn around. If you need the work done very quickly, artificial intelligence is the way to go. There is no need to spend hours at your computer typing away, when someone could do the typing for you. Choose the human transcription and the punctuation will be in place as well.
Tip #3) Try an Editing App
Cut down on your editing time by using an app like Grammarly. Grammarly will not only catch misspelled words, but it finds improper uses of grammar, too. It immediately give you the tips you need to make your writing better and perhaps your information will even be a bit more clear to understand. I love it
Tip #4) Hire it Out
Use a third party to help you get your work done. There are things I would love to be able to do for my blog and website that just take me a ton of time. I don't do them often enough to be efficient with them. For instance, making free guides to share with my readers. I supply the information for the guide and someone else makes it look beautiful. For instance, this week's: 2022 Guide to Digital Eye Strain Relief. I need to give a shout out to my Designer, Viva. She did a wonderful job making this guide look beautiful. Check it out here. You can find talented professionals to help you at sites like Fiverr.com or Freelancer.com. They have pools of talented people skilled in their own craft who can help you get your work done faster and perhaps even better than you could do it yourself.
Tip #5) Care for your Eyes
If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you know that I advise all of my patients to use 4-simple steps to take care of their eyes every day. Check out this blog to refresh your memory of the steps.
If you need help with your eyes in the middle of the day; however, I've got a couple more suggestions:
- Hydrate your eyes with some preservative-free artificial tears.
- Use a Cool Compress.
- Massage your lids with a roller ball from We Love Eyes to massage them. And if you wanted to put it in the refrigerator or it under some cool water, it would feel very soothing to your lid as you massage them.
- Close your eyes. Take a break or a nap, and allow your eyes to rest.
CONCLUSION
Having dry eyes can hinder your ability to get your work done in a timely manner. Don't let your eyes hold you back from living the life you love. Use these tools to cut back on your screen time:
- Dictate it
- Transcribe it
- Edit it
- Hire it out
If your eyes are still bothering you, pamper them with:
- Preservative-free artificial tears
- Cool Compresses
- Lid Massage
- Taking a nap
Truly, the most important step is getting in the habit of good eye care. I recommend 4-simple steps of daily eye care for a lifetime of good vision.
