Eyes · Seated or Standing
Look into the distance (20-20-20)
Not a stretch, but a reset for eyes that have focused on a screen at arm’s length for a long time. Recommended by eye-care organisations as a comfort habit.
- 20 seconds, looking about 20 feet away
- Movement
How to do it
- Look away from your screen.
- Find something about 20 feet (6 metres) away: out of a window, or across the room.
- Let your eyes rest on it for about 20 seconds.
- Blink fully a few times before you look back at the screen.
How long
About 20 seconds, every 20 minutes of screen work. The 20-20-20 timer can remind you.
What you should feel
Nothing in particular; the point is to let your eyes change focus. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that people blink less while using screens, so blink deliberately.
Stop if…
- Eye pain, a sudden change in vision, flashes or floaters: these are reasons to see an eye doctor promptly, not to take a break.
- Discomfort that continues on days you rest your eyes: have your eyes examined.
Variations
- No window. Look at the furthest point in the room, such as the far wall or a doorway.
- Close and blink. Close your eyes for a few seconds, then blink slowly several times.
Common mistakes
- Looking at a phone instead.
- Staring without blinking.
Use it in a routine
The stretch routine builder can play this with other eyes stretches, with a countdown for each side and a chime at every change. The stretch break timer adds stretches like it to a break after each work interval, and the 20-20-20 timer reminds you every 20 minutes.
It is part of this ready-made routine: Screen break for eyes and neck, 3 minutes.
Sources
Written from published guidance by health services, physiotherapy and ergonomics bodies. Last reviewed .
- 20-20-20 rule, American Optometric Association
- Computers, digital devices and eye strain, American Academy of Ophthalmology
- Office ergonomics (PDF), University of Washington Environmental Health and Safety
- Standing stretches for the workplace (video), Mayo Clinic (general stretching guidance)
- Desk-based exercises, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (UK) (general stretching guidance)
- Stretching at the workstation (PDF), New Mexico State University Environmental Health and Safety (general stretching guidance)