What I Learned About Writing 2010: Eye Strain
May 9 at 11:00 AM
It's a common dilemma: should I write at the keyboard or with a pen and paper? As I pondered for a solution, I found myself staring at the keyboard. I later realized what I was looking at was actually the solution. The following isn't a grounds-breaking revelation that will change the way you write forever, but rather a small detail that I picked up that will keep you writing longer and smarter.
When writing for extended periods of time, one part of our body that takes the most abuse is your eyes. It's easy to overdo it and pay the price the following day. Occasionally my eyes burn so bad that I cannot look at a computer monitor or TV for a couple days. There goes my productivity! If only I'd been more careful. What I really needed to be doing was looking away every now and then; somewhere where I could focus.
Instead of staring directly into the monitor while typing, try looking at the keyboard. Train yourself to look away as much as possible. At first this may seem counter-intuitive; surely if you've had typing or keyboarding class this is the very thing they teach you not to do. But if you find yourself writing for 8 to 10 hours a day this isn't practical. You've got to force yourself to look away.
There are also other tricks that you can mix in for maximum effect. Close your eyes while you type. This gives you a little break and improves your focus (just don't fall asleep). Pick out something in the room that you can focus on while hammering away at the keyboard. Try ticking down the brightness on your monitor or turn it off completely. I've found that when I turn the monitor off completely, I cannot resist the urge to turn it back on every 15 minutes to check something I wrote. Also, take periodic breaks, and of course, if you're reading large amounts of text, do yourself a favor and print out a hardcopy. You'll find that marking up a copy is both liberating and eye-saving.
Ultimately I've found that concentrating on the keyboard increases my typing speed, improves my focus and minimizes glancing at the monitor. Of course, it all depends on what works for you. Writers who spend long hours at the keyboard need to develop a game plan that includes sparing their eyes. But whatever you do, make sure you don't impact your performance the following day. The key to being successful is consistency. Strike upon that elusive balance and your body will thank you in return.
