Last Updated on August 13, 2024 by Nathaniel Tower
Clear and comfortable vision is crucial for your writing practice; without it, pursuing your passion becomes much more challenging.
Despite knowing this, most writers do not totally understand facts in relation to vision loss and blindness that can affect how you care for your eyes. For instance, 81% of Americans believe they’re knowledgeable about eye and vision health, but only one in five could correctly identify the leading causes of blindness in the country. Staying on top of your eye health can help you care for your eyes and vision well to boost your writing endeavors. Here’s why eye and vision care are crucial for your writing practice and some tips to help:
Why eye and vision care matter for writers
Writing clearly
Vision issues and eye conditions can affect how you write and read, making writing more challenging. These problems can make it harder for you to see your text, leading to more mistakes. Difficulty processing what’s written, even in your own work, can also hamper aspects like sentence flow or word usage since you can’t comprehend your writing clearly. Your productivity can also suffer due to problems like eye strain, blurred vision, or headaches, slowing your writing flow. Rather than working with a larger font or constantly zooming in and out, proper vision and eye care can help you see and comprehend clearly without exerting too much effort.
Spotting mistakes
Mistakes are an inevitable part of the writing process, but failing to correct even the smallest of typos or punctuation errors can affect the quality of your work. Poor vision can make it harder to spot these issues while proofreading, and the document or software you’re writing on may not reliably point these out. This can be a huge risk if you’re sending your work for publishing; poor proofreading and formatting can affect your chances of getting your writing featured in a publication. Caring for your vision and eye health allows you to easily spot errors and work with a more polished draft.
Easier researching
Researching is a fundamental part of the writing process, whether you’re writing a fiction novel or an essay. Detailed research requires sharp focus to spot important information that can support your work. However, this can be compromised with poor vision; your eyes may not be able to pick up details well, affecting your comprehension and impacting the quality of your work. Vision and eye care can help you read and understand various research resources and materials to help enhance your writing.
How writers can care for their eye health
Finding the right eyewear
Eyewear is the most straightforward way of enhancing vision, and many options suit your lifestyle and preferences. Prescription glasses are the top choice for vision correction, but they can offer a plethora of benefits beyond that. You can customize them to have blue light blocking lenses, which can be helpful if you write on your computer or tablet for long hours so the blue light won’t affect alertness or cause eye strain. Investing in a high-quality pair, like the Michael Kors MK4117U Birmingham or the Oakley OX8153 Metalink, can also ensure durability and longevity so you can enjoy clear vision for longer. If you prefer a wider field of vision, contact lenses can also help with vision correction and offer a seamless look.
Contact lenses like the ACUVUE OASYS MAX 1-DAY also come with blue-violet light filtering technology that helps combat glare discomfort and bright light exposure, ensuring comfort while writing.
Regular eye exams
Eye exams are essential for your eye health and should be done regularly for the best care. During an eye exam, a professional can evaluate your vision and how well your eyes work together. They are also crucial for detecting any eye conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma and more. By spotting symptoms early, you can get the care you need to preserve your vision and prevent the progression of eye diseases. Since your eyes are important for your writing practice, you should be diligent about getting your eyes checked every two years or more if you’re at risk for an eye condition. You can better track vision changes, upgrade eyewear prescriptions, and maintain your eye and overall health.
Adjust your writing environment
Your writing environment plays a huge role in your visual comfort. Working in the right conditions can elevate your eye care game. Avoid lighting that can reflect off your screen and cause glare, which can shine the reflections into your eyes and make it harder to see the screen. Keep overhead lighting to a minimum, or use lower-intensity bulbs to prevent harsh lighting. Investing in a high-quality monitor can also prevent flicker and glare, and they may have settings to reduce blue light emissions to keep eye strain at bay. Keep the screen at arm’s length away and close to eye level for increased comfort.