Today’s world is completely dependent on technology and gadgets for most of it works and we all are a part of this transition in the work culture. There was a time when television was the only electronic equipment in our lives But with the advancements in work culture, smartphones and computers have become an active part of our lives. During this lockdown, most of the employees from major firms have shifted to online work and this has led to a drastic rise in the time that we spend in front of the screens. This puts extra strain on our eyes. Apart from the time when we sleep, most of our time is spent in front of either our smartphones or computers.
The strain on eyes is not the only problem that we face due to extra time in front of a screen. The strain on our eyes can lead to several other problems including vision problems, dry eyes, anxiety, and headache. That’s why our eyes need proper relaxation and enough time off-screen to cope with the strain caused due to spending several hours in front of a screen. Apart from this, some exercises can improve eyesight and relax the strained muscles. We’ve compiled a list of five such exercises.
1. Rub Down: Rub Down is a quick way to relax your strained eye muscles whenever you feel the need. A popular refreshing exercise, rub down can be performed even while wearing contact lenses. To perform a rub down exercise, you need to sit wherever you are comfortable and rub your palms together until they get warm. Now close your eyes gently and place a palm over each eyelid to transfer the heat from your palms to your eyes. Don’t exert extra pressure on your eyes or eyeballs. Perform this exercise for 2-3 minutes and you will feel refreshed.
2. Eye Press: Our eyes often get worked up after spending several hours in front of the screen while at work. This is a key exercise to relieve your eyes from the pressure put on them due to continuous working hours. Just like Rub Down, Eye Press exercise can also be performed while sitting anywhere comfortably. Take a deep breath after sitting in a comfortable posture and put a finger on each eyelid. Press your eyelids with your fingers gently for 10-15 seconds. Repeat this exercise for 8 to 10 times at regular intervals after a 2-3 second break following every single repetition.
3. Eye Bounce: You can perform this exercise everywhere. Performing an Eye Bounce exercise not only relaxes your eye muscles but also helps in increasing focus. You can do this exercise while sitting, standing, or lying. Now, start looking straight. Now start moving your eyes up and down swiftly at least 10-12 times. Take a rest of 5 seconds and repeat the exercise. You can perform 2-3 sets of this exercise. You can also combine the up and down movement with the closing and opening of your eyelids. You can perform Eye Bounce before going to bed. This exercise can also be performed several times a day.
4. The Moving Finger: Your eyesight may get weaker due to continuous work in front of the screen. Apart from this, your eye muscles can also get strained due to continuous work. Eye doctors often recommend this exercise for patients struggling with poor eye muscles. To perform the moving finger exercise, you need to sit on a chair with your shoulders relaxed and neck straight. Look in the forward direction. Now take a pencil or pen in your right hand and hold it in front of your nose. Try focusing on the tip of the pen/pencil. While focusing on the tip, extend your arms to move the pen/pencil farther, and then bring it back to the initial position. Perform this exercise for 1-2 minutes. You can also move the object left to right.
5. Blink: There is a reason why blinking is the natural movement of the eyelids that happens automatically. Constantly looking at a screen can hinder this natural movement and leave your eyes tired. This may also result in watery eyes. Blinking not only involves restoring the natural movement of the eyelids but rather involves frequent opening and closing of eyelids. You simply need to sit at a comfortable place and start looking at a plain wall. Now close your eyes for nearly a second and open them again. Perform this movement 10-12 times in a set. You can perform 2-3 sets of this exercise. This will help in relaxing your eye muscles and killing anxiety.
