Spending all day in front of a screen isn’t exactly new for most of us. But over the past few years, the hours have crept up—video calls, emails, streaming, scrolling—it all adds up. If you’ve noticed your eyes feeling dry, heavy, or just plain tired, you’re not imagining it. Eye strain is a real issue, and it can hit hard by mid-afternoon.

We decided to track our eye strain for a full week—logging symptoms, testing popular remedies, and tweaking our habits to find out what actually works. Here’s what we learned.

Day One: Baseline Misery

By lunchtime, the tell-tale signs had already started: blurry vision when glancing away from the laptop, a dull ache behind the eyes, and an urge to close them and not reopen. No filters, no special glasses, no schedule changes—just raw, unfiltered eye strain. It made for a useful baseline, albeit an uncomfortable one.

We also realised how often we stare at screens without blinking. Once you notice, it’s hard to un-notice.

Day Two: The 20-20-20 Rule (And Why It’s Hard)

This tip floats around everywhere: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. In theory, it gives your eye muscles a breather. In reality, it’s surprisingly easy to forget.

We tried setting a timer. It went off regularly—but the temptation to snooze it “just until I finish this email” often won. Still, when we did stick to it, there was a noticeable drop in tension by late afternoon. The key? Making it non-negotiable. The trick was linking it with something else—like taking a sip of water or standing up.

Day Three: Testing Blue Light Filters

There’s a lot of noise around blue light glasses. Some people swear by them, others say they’re all hype. We used a pair from Prada’s prescription range with a built-in filter—not tinted, just a subtle anti-reflective coating designed to reduce glare.

The result? Less glare and fewer headaches by evening. It wasn’t a miracle cure, but it helped—especially when switching between screens. The bonus? They looked sharp. Function and fashion isn’t always a given, but Prada seems to manage both.

Day Four: Adjusting Screen Settings

This might sound basic, but we underestimated just how much of a difference it makes to tweak brightness, contrast, and text size. Reducing brightness (especially on a white background) gave our eyes a break, and boosting text size helped reduce squinting.

We also switched one monitor to dark mode for most apps. It won’t work for everyone, but for us, dark backgrounds with light text were gentler to look at for hours on end.

Day Five: Light and Positioning

Natural light was a game-changer. Working near a window—with the screen positioned sideways to it rather than in front of or behind—reduced glare significantly. Artificial overhead lighting, on the other hand, didn’t help at all. It created screen reflections and increased eye fatigue, especially late in the day.

Positioning the monitor at eye level (not too high, not too low) also helped reduce neck strain, which in turn reduced tension in the eyes. A simple laptop stand and separate keyboard did the job.

Day Six: Hydration and Breaks

We’d heard that dehydration can contribute to dry eyes, and after a week of paying attention, that turned out to be true. On days when we drank more water (around 1.5 to 2 litres), our eyes felt noticeably less gritty by the evening. Skipping lunch or powering through back-to-back meetings without getting up made the discomfort worse.

Taking actual breaks away from screens—even for five minutes—felt indulgent at first but made a real difference. Sitting on the sofa scrolling Instagram doesn’t count, by the way. Your eyes need a proper rest.

Day Seven: Prescription Check and Glasses Fit

Here’s the one most people put off. If you wear prescription glasses, when was the last time you had your eyes tested? Turns out, one of us was slightly overdue—and it showed. Wearing an outdated prescription puts unnecessary strain on your eyes, even if you don’t feel it right away.

We tried a new pair of lightweight Balmain frames with an updated prescription and anti-glare coating. Not only did they fit better and feel lighter on the nose bridge, but they also stayed in place through the day—important if you’re staring at screens and shifting posture constantly.

A well-fitting frame makes a bigger difference than you might think. Slipping glasses or tight temples only add to discomfort, especially around the temples and ears.

What Actually Helped the Most

By the end of the week, it was clear that no single change was a magic fix. But layered together, small adjustments made a noticeable difference. Here’s what we’ll be sticking with:

• Blue light lenses with a subtle anti-reflective coating—especially if you’re using multiple screens.
• The 20-20-20 rule, tied to another habit like drinking water or stretching.
• Proper screen settings, including dark mode and reduced brightness.
• Good lighting, preferably natural, and a screen set at the right height.
• Regular breaks—not scrolling breaks, real ones.

And above all, keeping prescriptions up to date. Eye strain is often the first sign that something’s off, and it’s worth listening to.

One week in, our eyes were still tired by evening—but not sore, not blurry, and not desperate for relief. That alone felt like a win.