Tired, strained, or irritated eyes? Calming your eyes involves a multifaceted approach focusing on rest, reducing strain, and environmental adjustments. Here's how:
Rest and Relaxation Techniques
- Blink Frequently: Consciously blink more often to lubricate your eyes and prevent dryness, a major contributor to eye strain. Many people blink less when focusing on screens, exacerbating the problem. [1, 8]
- Take Regular Breaks: The 20-20-20 rule is effective: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This allows your eye muscles to relax. [2, 8]
- Palming: Gently cup your palms over your closed eyes, blocking out light. This promotes relaxation and reduces eye strain. [8]
- Eye Exercises: Simple exercises like tracing figures with your eyes or gently rolling your eyes can help relieve tension. [8]
Environmental Adjustments
- Optimize Lighting: Reduce glare from overhead lights or sunlight by using curtains, blinds, or anti-glare screen filters. Ensure adequate, even lighting for reading or working. [3, 8]
- Adjust Your Monitor: Position your computer monitor to minimize glare and neck strain. The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. [4, 8]
- Document Holder: Use a document holder to position reading material at a comfortable distance and angle, reducing the need to constantly adjust your eye focus. [5, 8]
- Screen Settings: Adjust your screen's brightness, contrast, and font size for optimal comfort. Larger fonts and higher contrast can reduce eye strain. [6, 8]
- Warm Compress: Applying a warm, damp washcloth to your closed eyelids can soothe tired eyes. [8]
Additional Considerations
While not directly addressing eye calming, maintaining overall health contributes to eye well-being. This includes getting enough sleep, reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, and managing stress through relaxation techniques. [8]
