If you have been visiting, hoping in vain for new content, I apologize. There is always still much else going on, even with this Website. Most recently I spent quite a bit of time to get rid of the slow load times. They have been plaguing the site for a good six months!
I hope that you are enjoying some improve load times now.
As for my favorite close-up strain minimizer, this is a simple but highly effective strategy:
Of course this is assuming that you use a differential prescription for close-up (never use full minus glasses while using near distance focus). We are also assuming that you know where your blur distance is, and you generally are set up to work near that distance.
The problem is, with this setup in general, that we tend to creep closer to the screen. Crane the neck a little, move the chair forward a little. Especially during intense absorption into whatever you are doing, you are prone to drift closer to the screen. This of course, is not ideal.
Simple fix, is to create a work environment where the most comfortable position is at the very edge of your focusing ability.
As example, you might have a comfortable fixed position seat. A big one is most handy, as it has more room for adjustment.
I use this sort of setup, where I often sit on a lounge type of seat, with a long seat cushion, and an upright back rest. I put a few pillows at the back rest, which make the angle comfortable for working. In front of it, a small table at the appropriate height. Now it is reasonably comfortable at a distance where I can see quite clearly. But the further I go back into the pillows, the more comfortable the seating position gets! The closer I want to get to the screen, the more upright I have to sit, the less back support I get, the less comfortable it is.
Now, the creeping forward makes sitting less comfortable. Instead of drifting forward, as you sit longer, you want to drift back. You can now passively maintain a good distance, since you will want to be in the more comfortable position.
The extra tweak is, that the peak comfort zone, all the way back against the pillows, is maybe 15-20% outside of the normal range. It takes a notable effort to clear the image at that distance. So now, while I am consciously focused on work, all the subconscious / peripheral parts are all compromising on active focusing effort vs. sitting comfortably.
Over the course of a few hours, this makes quite a bit of difference on your average distance. And, it helps you by taking effort away from having to actively keep a good distance.
You may have to experiment with this setup a bit, to get your own just right. But once you have this little devious work environment created, it will continually do the work for you, reminding you to keep a good distance.
Enjoy!
