If you gaze at a screen all day—computer, smartphone, tablet, or TV—or if you spend hours reading print material, you are probably familiar with eye fatigue. When your eyes get tired and your vision is compromised, you can fall victim to headaches, migraines, and irritability—even nausea and dizziness!
Taking screen breaks is crucial and will help keep your eyes fresh and your outlook bright.
An old practice called “palming” can help to rejuvenate and invigorate tired eyes. You can practice it any time throughout your day, as long as you have a comfortable spot where you can rest your elbows. When your vision is clear and bright, your view of the world will change for the better!
Stuff to Know:
- Make sure your hands are clean and free of debris, grease, and other residue.
- Be extraordinarily gentle!
How to palm your eyes:
- Sit comfortably at your desk or at a table. You can also sit in an armchair in which your elbows will be supported.
- Close your eyes.
- Cup your hands and place your palms over your eyes, without touching your eyelids.
- Take several slow, deep breaths. As you relax, the grey you “see” with your closed eyes will gradually become a rich, velvety black.
- Stay with the black for a few deep breaths.
- Gently remove your hands. Open your eyes and blink rapidly several times as you adjust to the light again. Your eyes and vision should be refreshed and renewed!
Questions for readers:
Do you give your eyes a rest during long periods of reading or screen time?
andrea drugay 
Testify! I just did this and it feels SO good.
Awesome! 😀
That’s a great idea! My eyesight plummeted so fast after I started my editing job, which I hold currently. I had always had bad eyesight and have worn contacts since I was 14, but in six months on this job my eyesight fell another whole 1.5 points, which is bad, considering I had stopped growing at 25 years of age. My optician gave me computer vision glasses (they reduce the glare, called Gunnars) and told me to take a 1-minute break every 20 minutes, to stare into the distance. Apparently after 20 minutes of focusing on text that’s close to you, your eye muscles lock and that’s when they start to wear on your eyesight. I use the website http://www.protectyourvision.org, which you can set on a timer to remind you every so often to take a break, and then turns your screen to black while it’s on a break so you can look at something far away.
This is a great ritual to add to my eye breaks routine. Now that I’ve had eye surgery (I finally stabilized my eyesight doing these regular breaks and was able to get it!) I REALLY want to protect my eyes from getting bad again. Thanks Andrea!
Ooh, thanks for the tip on that website! And thanks so much for sharing your story. I’ve never heard of Gunnars but I’m going to check them out 🙂 Best wishes keeping your lovely eyes strong and healthy!
Thanks girl!
I really need to use this tip! Our eyes are so delicate that we need to protect them. More screen breaks for sure. I also make a point of looking far ahead when I go for a walk to work my eye muscles after staring at a screen all day
Oh, excellent tip on long-distance vision! I try to remember that when I’m at the beach, but when you’re walking, that’s even better! 😀
I just tried this at my desk and I’m a fan! Also, I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog award – the post is up on my blog if you want to check it out. 🙂
Aww, thanks Amanda! You just made my morning! Have a wonderful day! 😀