Reduce eye strain naturally with these exercises
What's the story
In today's digital age, eye strain has become a common problem owing to the excessive screen time. Most people complain of discomfort, dryness, and fatigue in their eyes. Fortunately, you can relieve these symptoms naturally with simple eye exercises. They can help relax the eye muscles, improve focus, without any special equipment or medication. Here are five effective exercises you can easily add to your daily routine to reduce eye strain.
Relaxation
Palming technique
The palming technique is a simple exercise that relaxes the eyes and reduces stress. For this exercise, rub your palms together until they feel warm. Then, gently place them over your closed eyes without putting pressure on the eyeballs. Make sure no light enters through gaps between fingers or palms. Hold this position for a few minutes while breathing deeply to let your eyes rest.
Focus shift
Focus shifting exercise
Focus shifting is an effective way to improve flexibility in focusing between near and far objects. Start by holding a pen at arm's length in front of you and focus on its tip for a few seconds. Then shift your gaze to an object approximately 10 feet away for another few seconds before returning focus back to the pen tip again.
Eye movement
Figure eight exercise
The figure eight exercise improves control over your eyes' movement by tracing imaginary patterns using your eyes only—no head movement involved. Visualize an oversized number eight lying horizontally about ten feet away from you. Trace it slowly with just your gaze a few times clockwise, and then counterclockwise.
Distance focus
Near and far focusing exercise
This exercise requires you to alternate your focus between nearby objects like books or pens held up close (about six inches) and far away ones like trees outside windows (at least twenty feet). Focus on each item for about fifteen seconds before continuing to switch back and forth repeatedly over one minute duration per session.
Moisture retention
Blinking exercise
Frequent blinking keeps our eyes moist naturally, but often gets neglected during extended screen use, leading to dryness discomforts later down the line. Practice conscious blinking every four seconds while working digitally. Try closing lids fully each time, ensuring complete lubrication coverage across the entire surface area involved here too.