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You could eat a beetroot breakfast, for instance—the vegetable is widely known as a performance enhancer because of how it can extend the time to exhaustion. If you prefer physical activity, you could perform bodyweight exercises to improve your muscle mass. Sometimes, however, the best fixes are the most simple. One of the most straightforward and efficient ways to boost your work output is to decrease the amount of blue light that reaches your eyes.
Here’s why blocking blue light can positively impact your productivity—and how you can choose the best glasses for the job.
How blue light affects productivity
The biggest source of blue light is the sun. That said, your exposure to blue light also likely comes from the gadgets you use—LED TVs, your tablet, your computer, and your smartphone—as well as fluorescent lamps. In today’s world, this versatile lightwave has so many uses it’s difficult to escape. Unfortunately, that spells bad news for your productivity.
For one, blue light can cause eye strain. Its wavelength ranges between 450 and 495 nanometers—short and with a lot of energy. Staring at a blue light source for too long can thus strain your eyes by blurring your vision, inducing fatigue, and making concentrating on a task more challenging.
Blue light’s most dramatic effect, however, is on your sleeping patterns. The light suppresses melatonin, the hormone in charge of prompting your body to feel tired. This can delay or disrupt your sleep cycles, and your work pays the price. Lacking sleep means you’re more likely to get sick, react slower, and feel more anxious or depressed.
How blue light glasses work
You don’t have to resign yourself to this inefficiency, however. You can buy some blue light glasses – specs specifically designed to filter out high-energy blue light through an embedded anti-reflection filter and a faint, residual tint. By reducing your exposure to blue light, they can improve your visual comfort and keep your eyes sharp and rested throughout the workday. You’ll also find slipping back into your natural circadian rhythm easier.
Note, however, that blue light glasses are different from computer glasses. The latter are made to filter out light from digital screens in particular. Indeed, one 2022 study notes that they can correct refractive errors and help alleviate digital eye strain. However, they don’t account for other sources of blue light—like the sun—in the way blue light glasses do.
Tips on finding the best blue light glasses
Consider their purpose
Before you purchase your blue light specs, consider their purpose. There are generally two types: daytime glasses and nighttime glasses. Daytime glasses typically have a clear lens and can block around 40% to 80% of blue light. They can thus be useful if you work with gadgets during your day job by enhancing your alertness and cognitive function. Nighttime glasses, however, are tinted orange and should block up to 100% of blue light. This helps get your body to power down for rest and is especially useful for night shift workers with insomnia or a delayed sleep phase. While both are helpful, it’s best to invest in the one that will help your work situation more.
Pick durable and comfortable frames
These specs are ones you’ll be wearing frequently and in the long run for better work performance. You’ll want them to have a comfortable fit and feel secure on your head without too much pressure. Strong frame materials like titanium or polycarbonate can help with durability.
Blue light can harm your productivity. Use the above tips to find the right blue light glasses to counteract those effects and boost your professional effectiveness.