Wellbeing in Education

A decade of championing wellbeing in education.

From childhood to adulthood, formal classrooms to lifelong learning — we've spent a decade making wellbeing a foundation, not an afterthought.

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Our 10-Year Legacy

Where learning meets wellbeing.

A love of learning feeds knowledge, builds resilience, and gives shape to a life of meaning. Each stage of education brings its own demands — and its own gifts.

Wellbeing Australia has a ten-year legacy of championing proactive wellbeing practices across education at every stage of life. Childhood to adulthood. Pre‑school to apprenticeship. Tertiary to lifelong learning. We've seen what works, and we've seen what gets left behind when wellbeing isn't built in.

A love of learning is foundational to wellbeing. It feeds knowledge, supports us in responding to challenge, and gives shape to a sense of purpose. That passion for growth — in ourselves and in the people we teach — matters at every stage of development.

We recognise education in all its forms: pre‑school, school, tertiary education, apprenticeships and internships, practical learning, and the ongoing personal development that happens long after the last classroom. Each stage brings its own dynamics, demands and gifts.

Global research is clear: positive psychology has a dramatic impact within educational frameworks. Both here in Australia and overseas, we're seeing a growing commitment to positive structures in education — supporting students to build social, emotional and academic literacy that carries through every stage of life.

Whether you're a teacher, leader, support worker or parent, there's a place for you in this work. Affiliate membership gives you access to current research, customised webinars, practical resources and a community of educators committed to making wellbeing more than just a poster on a classroom wall.

“Wellbeing belongs in every classroom — not as an extra, but as a foundation.”

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Digital Eye Strain: When Your Eyes Never Get a Break

Articles

September 30, 2026•3 min read

Whether you’re working from home, studying, catching up on emails, scrolling through your phone, or relaxing in front of the TV, screens have become a constant part of our everyday lives.

While computers, smartphones, tablets and televisions have been around for years, the amount of time we spend looking at them continues to increase. For many of us, there is very little opportunity for our eyes to truly rest. We might spend the day looking at a laptop for work, then pick up our phone during a break, and finish the evening watching Netflix or scrolling through social media.

With this constant cycle of screen use, you may have noticed symptoms such as blurred vision, tired or heavy eyes, headaches, difficulty focusing, or a feeling of pressure around the eyes. Your eyes may also feel dry, irritated or scratchy, particularly towards the end of the day. You may even find yourself thinking, “My eyes just aren’t what they used to be.”

What is digital eye strain?

Digital eye strain is the discomfort and fatigue that can occur after prolonged periods of focusing on digital screens at close or intermediate distances.

Our eyes are designed to continually change focus and look at objects across different distances. However, spending hours concentrating on a screen places sustained demands on our focusing system. We also tend to blink less when concentrating on a screen, which can contribute to dryness and irritation.

The issue isn't necessarily one screen in particular but the cumulative amount of screen time throughout the day. When we finish work on the laptop and immediately move to our phone or television, our eyes may not get the opportunity to properly relax.

While there is no magic cure for digital eye strain, there are simple things you can do to make your eyes more comfortable:

Follow the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break from your screen and look at something around 20 metres away. The important part is giving your eyes a genuine break from close-up focusing.
Make sure your prescription is up to date. Uncorrected vision problems can make your eyes work harder, particularly when using screens for long periods. Your optometrist can also check for focusing or eye-coordination issues that may contribute to discomfort.
Remember to blink. We naturally blink less when concentrating on a screen. Making a conscious effort to blink regularly can help keep your eyes comfortable. If your eyes feel persistently dry or gritty, lubricating eye drops or artificial tears may also help.
Keep your screen at a comfortable distance. Avoid holding your phone or positioning your laptop excessively close to your face, as closer viewing requires more focusing effort.
Give your eyes a break between screens. If you've spent all day on a laptop, try not to immediately replace it with your phone or another screen. Where possible, take some time to look outside, go for a walk, or simply relax without a screen.

Screens aren't going anywhere and neither are our increasingly digital lifestyles. The goal isn't to avoid technology, but to become more aware of how much time our eyes spend focusing on screens throughout the entire day.

If you regularly experience blurred vision, headaches, eye fatigue, dryness or discomfort, don't simply put it down to “too much screen time.” An optometrist can assess your eyes and help determine whether your symptoms are related to digital eye strain or whether there is another underlying vision issue.

digital eye strain

Wellbeing Australia Network

Wellbeing Australia is a national, not-for-profit network dedicated to strengthening the healthy relationships that underpin individual and community wellbeing with a particular focus on family, education, and workplaces. At Wellbeing Australia, we act as a central point of connection across diverse fields, bringing together educators, youth and community services, mental health professionals, health practitioners, businesses, and policymakers who share a vision for holistic wellbeing and human flourishing. Our approach is both integrative and proactive. By bridging research, practice, and lived experience, we turn wellbeing from an abstract idea into a living culture, one that anticipates challenges, nurtures resilience, and supports sustained positive change. More than advocacy for wellbeing, our network connects, amplifies, aligns, and acts as a national catalyst helping individuals and organisations translate values into action, align local innovation with national standards, and collectively shape a future where wellbeing is embedded in everyday life.

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