Six Refreshing Eye Tips For Long-hour Computer Users

Refreshing eyes to prevent eye strain. Photo: All About Vision

Palming

The eye muscle is like a spring that should not be over-extended for long periods of time. Otherwise, it's the ability to recoil can weaken. To prevent this, there are several things you can do to relax your eyes. Palming involves resting and warming your eyes using friction heat. Here's how it's done:

• Rub your palms together to create some heat.
• Close your eyes.
• Put one palm gently over each eye and rest them like this for a few minutes.
• Re-warm your palms as necessary.
• Don't push into or jab your eyes too hard, so you don't damage them.

Blinking

Since a lack of blinking is one of the contributing factors to computer-induced eyestrain as it dries out your eyes and causes scratchiness, it’s very important to blink. You may have to train yourself to blink normally while computing. Aim for a blink every four seconds to keep your eyes nicely lubricated and happy. This sounds like a simple task, but when focusing on a computer screen it can be difficult to remember.

Eye Rolling

Closing and then rolling your eyes can help lubricate them. It also helps to relax straining muscles. Close your eyes and roll them around in a circular motion. Roll them clockwise, then counter-clockwise. This not only helps relax your eyes but also feels good.

Visual Scanning

After so many hours staring at up-close objects on a screen, help your eyes adjust between objects both near and far. Sit back and observe the room you are in. Find an object at one end of the room and begin to scan the outline of every single thing in the room. For example, start with a television and then move on to the DVD player next to it and then move on the window behind it.

Basically, you want your eyes to be in constant, deliberate motion as you visually take stock of everything around you. You may already think that you are doing this, but most people when working or playing on the computer focus entirely on what is on the screen.

Focusing

Take a visual break and focus on something else every now and then. It’s important to take your eyes off the computer screen and look away at something else for several seconds or a minute. Aim to do this at least once an hour. If you’re at work try to avoid focusing on the clock when you do this, it will just make your workday seem longer.

Glancing

Sometimes a glance is more than just a glance! Start this one with your eyes closed while sitting. Keep your eyes closed as you glance up as far as comfortably possible. Hold for a moment, then look down. Repeat a few times and then take an eye-breather (open your eyes and look around). Next, close your eyes again. Now, keeping your eyes closed like before, look to the right and the left. Repeat this a few times.

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