You’ve been staring at a screen all day and your eyes are starting to feel dry and tired. You rub them, but it’s no use. Soon you start to have a headache. You are not the only one. According to the AOF (Association of Optometrists in France), nearly 60% of French people suffer from some form of digital eye strain. But there is hope! Check out these five relaxation techniques that can help ease your eyestrain and headaches.
Sophrology:
Sophrology is a mindfulness-based stress reduction technique that combines elements of meditation, breathing exercises and visualization. A recent study found that sophrology can help reduce eyestrain and improve symptoms of digital eye strain. To try it yourself, find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Once you feel relaxed, visualize a calm and peaceful place. Spend a few minutes there before opening your eyes. You can practice sophrology for a few minutes each day or according to your needs.
Eye Yoga:
Since 60% of French people suffer from digital eye strain because they spend too much time looking at screens. Symptoms include dry eyes, blurred vision and headaches. However, there is a simple way to relieve these symptoms: eye yoga. Eye yoga is a series of exercises that can be done anywhere and anytime. The goal is to give your eyes a break from staring at screens and reduce muscle tension. Some exercises include blinking rapidly for 30 seconds, looking up and down or side to side, and rolling your eyes in a circle. In addition to relieving digital eye strain, these exercises can also help prevent headaches.
Self-massage:
With self-massage, you can relieve the symptoms of eye strain in no time, wherever you are. Simply rub your hands together until warm, then gently massage your temples in a circular motion. You can also massage around your eyes by pressing your thumbs into the eye sockets and making small circles. For additional relief, try applying a warm compress to your forehead for several minutes. The combination of heat and pressure will help relieve tension and headaches. The next time your eyes hurt or your head hurts, give yourself a quick and easy self-massage.
Palming:
If you spend a lot of time staring at a computer screen, you might be familiar with the symptoms of eye strain: blurred vision, headaches, and dry eyes. One way to relieve these symptoms is to practice the “palm” technique. To do this, simply rub your hands together until warm, then place them over your closed eyes. Heat and darkness help relax the muscles around the eyes and relieve tension headaches. Palming can also help rehydrate your eyes by increasing tear production. If you regularly suffer from eye strain or headaches, try adding a few minutes of palming to your daily routine. You might be surprised at the difference it makes.
Eye gymnastics:
Eye gymnastics exercises strengthen the muscles around the eyes and improve blood circulation. They can be practiced anywhere and only take a few minutes.
The pen exercise, for example, involves looking at an object in the distance, then focusing on a nearby object, and finally moving back and forth between the two objects. This breaks up the monotony of single-point fixation and relaxes the eye muscles. The alphabet exercise is similar, but instead of moving the eyes back and forth, the focus moves up and down in a sweeping motion. Both of these exercises help reduce eye strain and tension headaches by giving your eye muscles a much-needed break.
