Great Advice for 2020: The 20-20-20 Rule

Thanks to the latest Pinkcast for the idea for this post.

In this edition of his Pinkcast, Dan Pink introduces a technique known as the 20-20-20 rule.

The origin of the rule was created by a Californian optometrist as an easy way to remember an effective approach for reducing eye strain for those who spend a lot of time working on their computers.

Here’s how the rule works: every 20 minutes, pick something 20 feet away from where you are working, and stare at it for 20 seconds.

While there has not been much scientific research that has tested the effectiveness of the 20-20-20 rule, both the American Optometric Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend it as a way to reduce eye strain.

Dan’s Pinkcast does not focus on this original purpose of the 20-20-20 rule, but notes that such a technique can fall into a category of productivity hacks known as micro-breaks.

These are really, really short breaks designed to enable us to regain our focus, which will then help to improve productivity.

So it seems as if the 20-20-20 rule has dual benefits – reducing eye strain and improving productivity.

Not bad for something that only takes 20 seconds, or about half as long as it took you read this post.

Here’s the Pinkcast, which is only 64 seconds long…

*image from Shore Eye Asssociates

11 thoughts on “Great Advice for 2020: The 20-20-20 Rule”

What a simple and easy way to take care of our eyes and minds. Thanks for sharing, this is one technique I can easily remember!

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maybe once you practice it 20 times, you will have it down cold… 🙂

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Great idea, goodness knows what we are all doing to our eyes, The formula could also apply to just getting up off your chair to avoid deep vein thrombosis etc. Every twenty minutes get up, run up or down twenty steps on your stairs then twenty seconds doing stretching exercises!

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