The use of computers and smartphones has put a lot of strain on our eyes. It requires us to focus at a single distance near our face. Seldom do we remember to blink (an action that cleans our eyes and keeps them moist), or give our eyes the rest they require. Our eyes were not made for such kind of work and as a result bear the brunt of all that they are subjected to.
The way we care for our bodies through workouts and diets, the same way we need to care for our eyes. So, today, I am sharing with you some easy-to-do exercises that require just 5 to 10 minutes of your time, have long-lasting benefits and could restore the health of your eyes! Do consult with your optometrist before commencing this routine. And, I would suggest doing these first thing in the morning, before the rush hour.
Find a spot where you won’t be disturbed for these few minutes, or do these before you leave your bed.
Sit cross-legged on the floor with your spine erect and your hands on your knees, close your eyes and give yourself some time to settle down. Breathe and try to relax those frazzled nerves and try to calm your wandering mind. Become aware of yourself, your breathing, your body. The exercises you will be doing need you to concentrate on yourself.
EXERCISES FOR YOUR EYES:
1. Workout for your eye muscles:
Open your eyes once you know you can focus on your exercises. Then, slowly, without moving your neck, move your eyes towards the ceiling. Stop for a second and then, slowly, move them down to look at the floor. This up and downward movement of the eyes should be carried out as slowly and with awareness. Do this routine five times and then close your eyes to give them a short break.
Next, look left to right, as slowly as you did the above exercise, without moving your neck. Do it for five times, and then again, close your eyes for a break.
Next, focus at the ceiling and then, slowly, move the eyes in a clockwise direction, for five times and then anti-clockwise for five times. And, remember to go slow. If you concentrate on the eye muscles as you do these exercises, you will be able to spot the places where you feel a slight stiffness and/or pain. These are the muscles that have borne the strain of having to stare constantly at the screen.
If you follow these exercises regularly, it will be the best thing you will be doing for the care for your eyes.
2. Blinking:
Open your eyes wide and then close them tight and immediately open them wide. Again, shut them tight and open them. Repeat this 10 times. The quick shutting and opening of the eyes is a good workout for the muscles around the eyes. It increases blood flow to the eyes and relaxes them by the end of it. After 10 times of blinking, close your eyes and relax.
3. Palming:
This exercise is to relax the eyes at the end of the routine. So, rub your palms for 10 to 15 seconds till you feel them warm and then place the palms on closed eyes, with the fingers resting on the forehead and the base of the palms on your cheeks. Count to 100 (or 200) in your mind and relax, let your eyes bask in the warmth. Once done, slowly remove your palms and open your eyes.
4. Staring:
A)
Hold your hand straight in front of you with your fist closed and thumb up. Stare at your thumb. Slowly, move your hand to the right without bending it at the elbow. Keep gazing at your thumb as it goes to your far right but without turning your head in the direction. Bring your hand back in front of you, and then use your left hand in the same manner to stare at your thumb on the left side. Do it once to the right and to the left.
B)
Stretch out your arm straight in front of you. Make a fist and stick the thumb out. Your thumb has to be at eye level. Slowly, bring your hand closer to your nose. Stare at the tip of your thumb as you do this. Then, move your hand away, back to its original position. Stare at your thumb even when you move it away. Repeat this twice.
5. Things to remember when working at the computer:
1. While working at the computer, always remember to blink regularly. This will keep your eyes from drying. Or, close your eyes and roll them clockwise and anti-clockwise, slowly, and feel your eyes getting a massage!
2. You could also do palming every once in a while when your eyes feel the strain.
3. Remember the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look away at a distance of approximately 20 feet for 20 seconds and give your eyes the respite they need after staring at the screen so close to your face. I know, it’s difficult keeping track of time once we immerse ourselves in our work. So, you could set an alarm for 20 minutes in your phone and let it remind you to take the much-needed break.
Follow the above rules even while reading a book. Remember to look out of your window or look at something at a distance. Reduce the pressure you put on your eyes. You will instantly notice how relaxed your eyes feel. It’s all we can do to care for our eyes!
Following this routine regularly will help in keeping your eyes agile and the eye muscles flexible. It’s akin to feeling your body becoming flexible after a regular workout. Do try it out for the sake of your eyes. And, do remember, that these exercises in no way help in improving your eyesight, but, they will definitely maintain your eye health.
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I got my specs just a few months back and they are so bothersome. i will try the exercises you mentioned.
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That would be nice for your eyes, Lata! 🙂
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I need to remember this. I have been feeling a lot of strain in eyes, mostly because I spend 8 hours staring at the monitor. And then some more. I will try all these eye exercises 😀
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Please do so, Raj….You and people like you who work on computers, so need to take care of their eyes, what with all the gazing at the screens all day long….
Take care, my dear!
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Very useful tips and easy-to-do exercises, Shilpa! Thanks for sharing this 🙂
And please take care of your eyes. You have beautiful ones, full of warmth and cheer 🙂
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Aww…trust you to say something so sweet and make my day, Shailaja!
Thank you so much! And, you take care of your eyes, too!
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I am wearing spectacles since a year. Though I always wanted to wear spectacles but when it was time to actually use them due to poor vision, I was not happy. The fact that I could not read the fine print scared and troubled me. It was then that I started truly valuing the gifts we have and take for granted. The steps and exercises you have shared for eyes are a must. I follow the 20-20-20 rule and blinking. Will work on eye exercises too. Thanks for sharing, Shilpa.
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Yes, Shilpa, it’s only after things go wrong that we start taking it all seriously.
Do take care of your eyes…it’s good that you remember the 20-20-20 rule…it is a must for us all!
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Shilpa, we do need to care for our eyes. Your tips and exercises are great for people like me who forget to blink when working on the computer. My eyesight is deteriorating with age and overuse of screens, will try these exercises and see the changes.
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Age is the factor we seldom take into consideration, Sulekha, when we are busy making a life for ourselves. We rarely think about how all that we do now will affect us as we age. Do take care of yourself. The exercises are easy and don’t need much time..try and fit them into your schedule.Hope you find some improvement.
Hugs!
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I have dry eyes from aging and also heavy computer use at work. Even my optometrist didn’t tell me any of this on my last visit.
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Not many of them do. My Yoga teacher taught me these exercises when I was in college. Back then, I did not take it all too seriously. But, now I do. Moreover, the use of computer and smartphones is something we cannot avoid, so it’s better we take care of ourselves.
Thank you for visiting, Alana!
Take care!
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Alana, I cannot recommend to strongly that you start now on TheraTears Nutrition Omega 3 supplements. I am not an affiliate – this is an unpaid, enthusiastic, “they saved my sanity!” endorsement. Dry eyes can progress to corneal erosions. I need to write an update post on the blog – the old blog had several, likening this to “eyeball-munching, glass-pooping fire beetles” – but I can’t stress strongly enough how much you want to avoid getting to that point.
The biggest takeaway from this post, for me, is BLINK!!! For the love of all that’s holy, BLINK. (I can’t do that rapid blinking thing described at the top, not first thing in the morning, or I’ll skin my eyeballs.) But once my doctor saw me after I started taking the TheraTears, he was shocked – said he was going to start recommending it to all his patients who have recurrent corneal erosions. I’ve now made it about a year without having to sleep in contact lenses, and have gone from about 3.5 hours’ sleep a night on average to about 6.
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Holly, I wouldn’t step in my bedroom if I knew there were such kind of bugs on my bed! OMG!
I do the exercises and remember to blink and all, but I guess I am going to need the drops for dry eyes. I have heard about such drops from my friend, too, and I think it’s better if we use it instead of wait till the situation is out of control.
Thank you for dropping by, Holly! ❤
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There weren’t any bugs, Shilpa. 🙂 Just … well, I had to be sure, right? And even after I washed everything, I thought maybe it was fibers from the blanket getting into my eyes at night. One theory was that I was sleeping with my eyes open and/or rubbing them against the pillow. None of that was actually the cause, but it was all theoretically possible.
Oh, and I FOUND the TheraTears Nutrition Omega-3 in the drugstore WITH the eye drops! (TheraTears makes artificial tears, too – my doc had recommended them, but did not know anything about the Omega-3 supplements made by the same company! I was so ready to wage all-out war on the problem, I figured what couldn’t kill me couldn’t hurt to try. He was impressed with the results at my next exam and said he’d start recommending the supplements to his patients with RCE.
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Thank you for a useful and easy-to-follow post, Shilpa. My dry eyes say “Thank you” too!
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Thank you to you, too, Shirley! Do take care of your eyes! ❤
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Thanks for putting this together…we all need this, especially with the kind of routines we have. I have a desk job but don’t sit there for too long at a stretch.
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Not sitting at your desk for a long time is also very important, as is not staring at your screens for a long time! We all need to take care of our health considering the way life has changed.
Thank you for dropping by, Alok!
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Thank you for sharing these exercises! Our eyes sure do get strained with all the staring at the computer and smartphone screens. Makes it even more important to take good care of them!
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Yes, Shinjini! We have but a pair of this precious gift, and we can’t afford ruining it!
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Very helpful tips, some were totally beyond my knowledge.
Thanks for sharing.
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I am glad you found these tips helpful, Jyotirmoy! Thank you for dropping by!
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You inspired me to write an update on my eye health issue: http://jahangiri.us/2017/eye-health-can-see-clearly-now/
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Thank you, Holly! And, now your post has inspired me to keep taking my health seriously! Esp. that of my eyes.. 🙂
Will read your post soon! ❤
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Well, good! Then my work is done. 🙂
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Hi Shilpa~ I’m also doing a campaign focus on eyes health. To give variety methods in reducing digital eye strain. Just as you mentioned, people starting to use computers and smartphones quite often in daily time, especially for Millenials. So the goal I want is to make people better understand the issue and be proactive in protecting eyes health. If you get interested, feel free to follow my blog and other social media. I really appreciate for your participateing! Thanks 👀 —— XY
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Hi!
Yes, people do need to become a lot more conscious about their eye health now because of all the gadgets they use. And, as I myself have been battling with a weak eyesight, and now tired eyes, I take extra interest in eye care.
WIll surely follow your blog to know more.
Thank you for visiting!
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