the Dreaded Photographer Headache {and how to prevent it!}

The dreaded Photographer Headache is something the majority of photographers struggle with, yet nobody talks about!  We all sit silently dealing with the pain, either hoping it will go away or thinking we’re the only one who deals with this on a regular basis!  If that’s you, my friend, you are wrong.  In fact, last summer, when I began talking about all of my headaches, eye-strain, and scary symptoms, photographers came out of the woodwork – all asking questions and sharing their own stories!  You are definitely NOT alone if you find yourself editing and plagued by the Photographer Headache.

But you know what else, when I started asking around and paying attention, I realized that photographers, as a whole, are a really unhealthy group of people.  Let’s be honest, most creative entrepreneurs start their businesses because they truly have a passion and a love for what they do. We spend hours in front of our computers and helping our clients not because we have to, but because we want to – we love this stuff! This type of work ethic is a blessing because it helps us serve our clients well, but it can also be a curse. All too often, that work comes at the expense of time with our families, our OWN health, and the things that truly matter most in our lives.

So, my little sparkles, it’s important we get our priorities set so we can order our lives accordingly. This starts with taking care of ourselves so we can do our work with sparkly excellence while pouring into what matters most.  You might not think this matters…. but knowing how to deal with the photographer headache and prevent other common struggles with save you time, stress and money long-term.

Are you ready to take a hard look at yourself and your priorities?!  This month, we are chatting all about how you can take care of yourself well: not for selfish reasons, but so you can be at the top of your game in your business life and personal life.

 

My Story {which may feel a lot like your story}

 

If you aren’t feeling your best physically, everything else is going to fall apart. While the physical effects of an entrepreneurial life can vary, they are almost always the effect of working too much and neglecting things like rest, sleep, exercise and good nutrition.

Sound like you? Yeah… I thought so!

No judgement here friend… it was me, too!  And, if I’m being completely honest with you, it’s still something I struggle with on a daily basis!

If you follow me on Periscope, you know that last summer, I felt God telling me I needed to take a very intentional time of REST.  I wasn’t sure what that looked like, but was open to what He was trying to tell me.  Shortly after that message was laid on my heart, I began having some pretty scary symptoms that led me to all kinds of testing, scans and doctors.

 

I was having dull achy headaches all the time {but especially after working on the computer}, felt constant pressure and irritation behind my eyes, my eyes were blood-shot, and I was dizzy and woozy almost all of the time.

 

Honestly, if you’ve ever been hung-over – that’s EXACTLY how I felt…. but completely sober.  It was awful and caused a lot of stress on me and my family.  After all the tests, it turns out that:

1. I had been using the wrong eyeglass prescription for two years – like, DRASTICALLY incorrect.  I owe that one to the super-store eye doctor, I won’t call the office out by name, but will say that I loved to frequent the dollar bins after my eye appointments!  {Sidenote: don’t trust your eyes to just anyone.  There is a HUGE difference in opthamologists!!!  Head straight to an eye surgeon to get the best care!  Trust me on this one!}
2. my eyes were being overworked.  I was spending too much time in front of the computer and, since I was sleep-deprived as well, my eyes literally gave out on me!
3. I needed modifications when working on screens!  In my day-to-day, I’m near-sighted {which means I can’t see distance} BUT when I’m working on screens {which are very close to my face}, I’m also slightly far-sighted {which means I can’t see things up close without risking eye fatigue}.

 

Soooo… is there a technical term for the Photographer Headache?

 

Yup!  In fact, many graphic designers, bloggers, and people who use screens all day also struggle with the photographer headache!  In the medical world, what we have is computer vision eye strain… yeah, that’s a thing… and it’s easily corrected.  I’m guessing that you may struggle with this too!  Headaches, eye strain, dizziness {I actually heard of one photographer taking Dramamine before she started editing because it was so bad}, and blurry vision are all symptoms!

While the symptoms may mimic those of a bigger issue {talk to your medical professionals to know for sure}, there’s actually a simple, quick fix!

Protect yourself from the Photographer Headache

If you work in front of the computer all day and get headaches or feel motion sickness while working or editing photos, check out these blue-light cutting glasses and *optional* magnifiers from Amazon!  Click on the photo and I’ll take you right to this pair on Amazon.  While that is an affiliate link, I’d tell you to go get them even if it’s wasn’t!  LOL!  And, the best part?!  They’re normally on sale for under $20!!!

If you get the photographer headache frequently, you NEED these ASAP!  What you may not realize is that all of that blue light from your screens affects your sleep, strains your eyes, and causes all kinds of other issues!  So these glasses are a quick and easy fix for you!  What I love is that you can order them with zero magnification or can add a little bit if you normally wear readers!  This makes them easy to use – even if you already wear contacts!

Now, if you’re eyes are already bad, like mine, you may want to just ask your eye doc to add the blue-screen coating to your everyday glasses OR give you a specific prescription for glasses that can be worn with your contacts.  This is the route I took, and it enabled me to get super cute pink Jean Lafont frames.  {Which are normally ridiculously expensive… but I scored them on clearance for around $100!!!!}  Those are the glasses you see me wearing in my videos!

Disclaimer – as you can see, there’s a slight yellow hue to the glasses {this is necessary to counteract the blue light}.  You may not want to wear them while correcting white balance or fine-tuning colors!  Keep that in mind as you work!

 

Now, it also goes without saying that reducing your screen-time also dramatically impacts how much you may struggle with CVS.  For many of us, however, being on the computer is a necessary part of the job.  So pay attention to your body and find what works for you!

 

Getting the photographer headache really sucks…

But the good news is there’s an easy way to solve your problem!  Set some boundaries on your screen time, get yourself some snazzy glasses, make sure your body gets the rest it needs, and then get back to work – headache free!

If you have struggled with headaches while you edit your photos, I’d love to hear from you!  If you’ve found other tricks that work for you, share them with us in the comments below!!!!  Please, please, please help spread the word and help other photographer’s find relief from their headaches!  Use the hot pink buttons, below, to Pin and share on social media!

And, if you’re a photographer or creative entrepreneur – I’m so happy you stopped by!  While today was all about self-care, I also love sharing social media and business tips in my Sparkle Society community!  We’d love to have you join us and, to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, you can even choose a free mini-workshop when you join the FREE community!  Go grab yours and let’s #glitterdone!