Tip Tuesday: Try the 20-20-20 Rule to Give Your Eyes a Screen Break

Here’s a question for you: when did your eyes last look at something farther away than your screen? 🌿 As autumn days get shorter, many of us spend more time indoors, often in front of laptops, phones, and TVs. This week’s tip is a tiny habit that takes 20 seconds and asks nothing of you except a glance out the window.

Today’s Tip: Try the 20-20-20 Rule

Every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet (6 meters) away for at least 20 seconds. That’s all there is to it. The American Optometric Association suggests this simple pattern for anyone who spends long stretches on digital devices.

Why It Matters

When you focus on something up close, the small muscles inside your eyes work steadily to hold that focus. Over hours of screen time, this can add up to what eye care professionals call digital eye strain: tired or dry eyes, blurry vision, headaches, and a stiff neck or shoulders.

We also tend to blink less often while staring at screens, and that may leave eyes feeling dry and gritty. This is especially true in autumn and winter, when indoor heating dries the air. Research suggests that regular short breaks for distance viewing may help ease these symptoms. One small 2023 study found that people who followed the 20-20-20 rule reported less eye strain and dryness after two weeks. The benefit faded once they stopped, so the habit is what counts.

How to Make It Stick

• Set a gentle reminder. A quiet timer, a break app, or a 20-minute work rhythm can do the remembering for you.
• Find your “20-foot spot.” A tree outside the window, a picture across the room, or the end of a hallway all work. Autumn leaves make a lovely view. ✨
• Blink on purpose. During your break, try a few slow, full blinks to help refresh the surface of your eyes.
• Pair it with movement. Every hour or so, stand up, roll your shoulders, and stretch. Our 2-minute hourly reset fits in nicely.
• Check your setup. Keep your screen roughly an arm’s length away, with the top of the screen at or a little below eye level.
• Mind the air. If your eyes feel dry indoors, it may help to check your indoor humidity as the heating season begins.

If screen days tend to leave you with a tension headache, you may also find these natural approaches to headache relief helpful.

The takeaway: Your eyes were made to look near and far. Give them a 20-second view of the horizon a few times an hour, and see how your eyes feel by the end of the week.

This post is for general wellness information only and isn’t medical advice. If you have ongoing eye discomfort, changes in vision, eye pain, or frequent headaches, please see an optometrist or eye doctor.