Screen Fatigue and Burnout: How to Leave Work With Energy Left Over

You close the laptop at six and you're done. Not just with work. With everything. Dinner's cereal, the gym bag stays in the car, and you fall asleep halfway through a show.

That's not a personal failing. It's often what a long day of screens, sitting and switching between tasks does to a person. The good news is that small changes during the day can leave you with a lot more left at the end of it.

Look after your eyes: the 20-20-20 rule

Staring at a screen for hours can cause digital eye strain: tired, dry or burning eyes, blurry vision and headaches. We also blink less when we focus on screens.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It gives the focusing muscles in your eyes a break.

A few more tips:

• Keep your screen about an arm's length away, slightly below eye level.
• Match your screen brightness to the room.
• Reduce glare from windows and overhead lights.
• Use lubricating eye drops if your eyes feel dry, and remember to blink.

If you have ongoing eye strain or headaches, get an eye exam. Sometimes the fix is simply the right glasses.

Move more during the day

Long stretches of sitting leave you stiff and sluggish. You don't need a standing desk to fix it.

• Stand up and move for a couple of minutes every half hour or so.
• Take phone calls standing or walking.
• Use the stairs, or walk to a coworker instead of messaging.
• Take a real lunch break, and go outside if you can.

Work in focused blocks

Constantly switching between email, chat and actual work is exhausting. Try working in focused blocks instead. The Pomodoro Technique is a popular version: 25 minutes on one task, then a 5-minute break. After four rounds, take a longer break.

During a focus block, close your inbox and silence notifications. Most messages can wait 25 minutes.

Draw a line at the end of the day

When your office is your kitchen table, work leaks into everything. A clear ending helps your brain switch off.

• Write tomorrow's top three tasks before you stop. Your mind can let go of them.
• Shut the laptop and put it away, out of sight.
• Do something that marks the shift: change clothes, take a short walk, put on music.
• Turn off work notifications on your phone after hours, if your job allows.

Know the signs of burnout

The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon caused by chronic workplace stress that hasn't been successfully managed. It has three main features:

• feeling exhausted or drained of energy
• feeling distant, negative or cynical about your job
• feeling less effective at work

If that sounds familiar, it's worth taking seriously. Talk to your manager about workload if you can, use your time off, and lean on the people around you. If you also have persistent low mood, trouble sleeping or feelings of hopelessness, talk to a doctor or therapist. Burnout and depression can overlap.

Your one step for tomorrow

Set a timer for the 20-20-20 rule and a reminder to stand up every 30 minutes. See how you feel by the end of the day.