How to avoid eye strain during exams?

DRIIIIINNNGGGG! It’s exam time for some students! Between stress, revision sessions and lack of sleep, it’s not an easy period, and we know it! The last thing you need is to deal with eye strain during your exams on top of everything else! To help you avoid it, we’re going to explain what eye strain is, how it appears, and most importantly, how to prevent it!

What is eye strain?

Have you ever experienced blurred vision, irritation, tingling sensations in your eyes, glare, or even headaches? Bad news: there’s a good chance you’re experiencing eye strain!

How does eye strain appear during exam periods?

Books, screens, revision notes and exam papers… your eyes are focused on your studies for hours, and this requires a considerable amount of effort from them!

Yes, the more you strain your eyes and use your near vision, the more likely you are to experience what is known as visual fatigue or eye strain.

How can you avoid eye strain during exam periods?

Take breaks!

You’ll probably love us after reading this advice (but don’t take advantage of it either!): don’t hesitate to take breaks! Taking breaks allows your eyes to rest (and you’ll also be more productive by giving your brain a break!).

So when you’ve been working on your exam paper for 4 hours, don’t forget to look away for a few seconds!

You can also follow the 20-20-20 rule:

When we talk about taking breaks, we also strongly recommend going outside to get some fresh air and enjoy natural light. This helps relax your eyes and can help prevent student myopia!

Blue light: one of your eyes’ enemies

Everyone has their own way of revising, but we know that studying is increasingly done using screens! Make sure to protect your eyes from overexposure to blue light produced by your phone or computer!

Don’t hesitate to use blue light blocking glasses or activate a screen filter!

Avoid spending your free time on Netflix between revision sessions

Yes, we all know how it ends! One hour of revision quickly turns into one or two hours of Netflix afterwards (no, we’re not falling for it!).

Before relaxing in front of another screen, we recommend that you first get some rest and especially give your eyes a break by taking a bath or going for a walk outdoors.