Screen time has become a common part of daily life. You probably spend a good number of hours looking at screens, like your computer at work and home, your smartphone, television, or other digital devices. Looking at screens too much can lead to eyestrain.

One popular method to relieve this discomfort is the 20-20-20 rule, an easy-to-follow technique that encourages regular breaks from screens or intensive focus.

Keep reading to learn more about this eye exercise, how to do it, and whether or not research says it’s effective.

What’s the 20-20-20 rule?

The 20-20-20 rule suggests that for every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, you should try to take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away.

Unless you have a tape measure, you probably won’t be able to measure 20 feet accurately. However, being exact isn’t the key to the 20-20-20 rule for eyestrain.

The main idea is that you should try to focus on something far away from you. Consider looking out a window at an object that seems far away, like a tree or a building across the street.

If you work in a small space, just look out the window into the distance.