[bensandcastle]

The natural light and diffuse light are good tips.

Next is to get a big screen eg. 85" 4K and put it 1.5m away. That should be your main display. I don't have that all the time, but then I get some variety, 85" @ 1.5m a lot of the time, laptop some of the time, driving/walking etc. for longer range.

1.5m is the midpoint of focus for the muscles in your eyes.

I built augmented reality displays and this was the focal plane we selected for to minimize eye strain and the felt sense of vergence/accommodation conflict.

We could then throw graphics as close as ~30cm, or at infinity using vergence adjustments, even though the accommodation was at a fixed 1.5m. Graphics felt best at that distance, but they also felt ok in the range 0.5-10m, which suited nearly all productivity scenarios.

[frabert]

85" @ 1.5m is insanely big for me, do you not get sore having to dart your eyes about to read the corners?

[JumpCrisscross]

> do you not get sore having to dart your eyes about to read the corners?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is what makes it healthier. Not only are you exercising your eyes, you're also giving them a chance to let you know when they need a break.

[stevenAthompson]

I do almost exactly this, but instead use a cheapish 65" 4k/60hz TV instead. I can see bits of my surroundings with my peripheral vision, but only with the parts of my vision that are already blurry.

I suspect that 85" was chosen to maximize immersion for gamers (cover the entire field of view), rather than to minimize eyestrain. For me doing development work on a 65" from about 1.5m is close to ideal.

[neves]

I made a glasses with the focus optimized for 1.5m. A lot easier on my eyes for working than my progressive lenses.

[stevenAthompson]

How did you go about that? Can you just take your prescription someplace and have them made?

[jwr]

I would disagree with 1.5m, but I do recommend checking how close you are to your monitor.

Let's assume you have a reasonably sized office monitor (27" or so). Extend your arm with your hand as a fist, forward. If your screen is closer to you than your knuckles, it's too close.

Now, for the height: all monitor stands are too low. If you keep your head straight and look at the monitor, you should be looking at the upper third. VESA mounting arms or monitor stands solve this problem.

[qweiopqweiop123]

I've always heard you should be in line with the top of your monitor when looking straight ahead. A quick google has says the said.

Either way we're on the same lines - too many people are looking up too much when looking at the monitor. It takes more effort than looking down.

[imp0cat]

    all monitor stands are too low. If you keep your head straight and look at the monitor, you should be looking at the upper third. 

If the stand were too low and were to replace it with a higher one, you would then be looking at the lower part of the monitor and that is better?