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" The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. " Marcel Proust
This month I invite all eyes on one of our body’s most complex and interesting organs (after the brain) the human eye.
We might say that they are bigger than our stomach but did you know that when you are truly happy your eyes become bigger and brighter involuntarily and give you away, they also look smaller when you are sad and worried!
We only see about one-sixth of it as most of the eye ball is carefully tucked into its socket. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read that the human eye can differentiate between 2 and 7.5 million colours and that our body produces 5 to 10 ounces of tears a day.
There are 3 types of tears: the ones specialised in lubrication (keeping the eye working smoothly and the eyelids gliding softly); the reflex tears emerging when the eye is irritated (typically when peeling onion); and the emotional tears (unique to humans they can get triggered by intense joy, supreme pride, extreme sadness and many more emotions from our repertoire ... Why? It is still a mystery).
Do you experience dry, burning eyes or redness?
Is your vision blurry at the end of the day?
Have you got any tension in the neck-shoulder region or headaches? *
You might be experiencing “Computer Vision Syndrome” (CVS) [1], a temporary condition caused by staring at a screen for too long and at close range.
When we look at objects like a computer, television or phone screen, the eyes and the muscles around the eyes are working harder than normal as they are trying to adjust to the light that is emitted from the screen. This constant adjustment to quickly changing images or text is what causes our eyes to get strained.
Our eyes need to be lubricated all the time which is hindered by screens, air conditioning, artificial light and stress. They are designed both for long range and close up vision and they get far too much of the latter especially when we use our smartphones.
*(If you have these symptoms, consider consulting an ophthalmologist).
How long will you be spending in front of a screen today?
Here are 3 easy to action top tips that will make a world of difference to your precious eyes!
Look away: Our eyes are not built to spend hours and hours on end on a computer. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Look away from your screen every 20 minutes and gaze at a distant object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. You can also close your eyes every now and then, rest them, give them nothing to do (and not just at bed time!).
Blink: We should blink every 3-5 seconds now some people blink every 3-4 minutes, no wonder the eyes are getting tired and itchy. So, bat those eyelids!
Exercise: The eyes are like any other muscles in the body and they need movement. To stimulate them look around you, even better if it is outside and in nature, look up, down, right and left, make sure the eyes do the movement, not your head!
This month give your eyes some well-deserved attention and care. Consider introducing those 3 practices in your daily life.
... I have a little holiday gift for you. Let me lead you through a 5 minute 'screen free break' shared with you as an audio file. Sign up to receive your gift here.
To explore ways to take care of your body while using technology, get in touch. We will arrange a free conversation to explore possibilities that will fit your needs. I guarantee it will be 15min of your time invested mindfully.
References:
[1] Computer Vision Syndrome - expert advice - www.thehealthsite.com
Image credit: Eye photo by Moi!
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