Reduce Computer-Caused Eye Strain with the 20-20-20 Rule

Repetitive stress injury (RSI) and eye strain are common ailments among computer users, and there's no silver bullet for avoiding them beyond taking regular breaks to relax. Following his doctor's advice, tech blogger Amit Agarwal suggests a simple 20-20-20 rule.


Agarwal points to a couple of different free utilities that can help you remember to take your regular breaks (both of which we've covered before: WorkRave (Windows and Linux) and EyeDefender (Windows). Mac users, you may want to check out previously mentioned Time Out.



No matter how you remind yourselves to take regular computer breaks, eye strain and RSI are serious business, and not something you should ignore if you spend a significant amount of time in front of the computer. If you've got your own system for fighting off computer-related ailments, let's hear them in the comments. Photo by bark.