COVID Changes

Hello Readers!

I hope you all are staying safe and healthy during this time. I want to take time to discuss the many changes and adjustments having to be made in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, and also dive into how this is affecting teachers and all those who are now working remotely. 

💬💻Working From Home 💻💬

As I have mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, I am very grateful to be able to keep busy and work from home during this time. I am an Orientation Leader for my University, in addition, I have also been elected as the Vice President of the Residence Hall Association (RHA). That being said, my participation in these organizations include attending meetings and conducting what is usually an 8 hour orientation day on campus to a virtual setting. Of course, this goes without having to be said, but online classes required me to spend a lot of time staring at my computer screen as well. 

My Observations

    I have noticed that after reading several pages of material for my class on a screen had become more difficult for me. I had read online materials before, but that was on occasion, and I also had print materials available. This time, however, all of my course materials were online, and it took me longer to read them. 

I noticed myself getting more eye fatigue and even headaches after completing school work online for extended periods of time. I had to take more frequent breaks.

Consequences of Remote working/learning

Professionals often warn parents about the amount of time they allow their children to spend looking at screens, such as TV and video games. During the COVID pandemic, however, some of this may be unavoidable to both parents and students who must do work online. Rally Health.com states that too much screen time can cause something called "computer vision syndrome", in which one's eyes may become strained, dry, blurry, and even cause headaches. I think this can be hard on teachers as their students may experience some of the consequences of increased screen time.

It is important to take necessary measures to ensure you're being as safe as possible with all of the increased screen time.

Tips for working remotely

Here are some things I found to be helpful for me as I have been working remotely.

🍎Take Frequent breaks (every 15-30 mins)

🍎Take time to rest your eyes (close the computer, read a book, meditate with eyes closed, etc)

🍎Stay Hydrated (drinking water may reduce headaches and help you to stay energized)

🍎Try to avoid going straight from being on your device to going to bed, try to leave time in between (studies have shown that screen time before bed can have negative consequences for sleep(3 reasons to put you phone away before bed).

🍎If your device has a feature that adjusts the screen based off time of day (nighttime mode) use it to ease strain on your eyes late at night.

I hope these tips are helpful! What are some things you do to make working remotely easier? 

Thanks for reading!

From my Desktop,

Kanya

🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎

References

hollowc2. “Put the Phone Away! 3 Reasons Why Looking at It Before Bed Is a Bad Habit.” Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic, Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic, 4 June 2019, health.clevelandclinic.org/put-the-phone-away-3-reasons-why-looking-at-it-before-bed-is-a-bad-habit/.

Rally Health. “The Unexpected Effects of All That Screen Time.” Rally Health, www.rallyhealth.com/health/unexpected-effects-screen-time#:~:text=Staring%20into%20a%20screen%20for,cause%20neck%20and%20shoulder%20pain.