Self-Care Sunday: Give Your Eyes a Rest

Mindful living enthusiasts often think about having a healthy work-life balance, but we’d like to introduce you to a new self-care practice - resting your eyes!

We aren’t just talking about sleeping. We are actually shedding some light on the 50-90% of people who experience eye strain and need some ideas on how to counter those bothersome symptoms and prevent future damage. We hope that you will consider giving your eyes the day off this Sunday as part of your self-care practice.

That means turning off the tablets, the computers, the televisions, and, oh yes, keeping the cell phone usage at an all-time low. You’ll be pleased to find that the hyper-stimulation of your nervous system that occurs from the images that flash in front of your eyes will cease, leaving you in a much more peaceful state. We use our eyes every single day, they work hard! For this reason, we need to start thinking about protecting our eyes, and there are plenty of new and natural remedies available to us to do that.

Here are 7 ways to give your eyes a rest for this Self-Care Sunday. They will help you feel refreshed for the week and are a great way to love yourself.

Sleep In!

Keeping those eyes closed a little bit longer than usual lets your whole body shift into a relaxed state. Let yourself lounge in bed without rushing to start the day. Your immune system needs sleep and getting one night of good shut-eye can help your eyes feel normal again. If you’re not getting enough sleep during the week, it can lead to eye strain, dry eyes and even popped blood vessels.

Implement No-Screen Sunday

This Sunday unplug to destress. Instead of binging Netflix or Hulu, go for a hike, take a day trip to a new place you haven’t explored or indulge in a yoga class that will loosen up some of that desk chair stiffness. Challenge yourself to leave your phone in the car, at home or on silent. Make it a point to stay off social media ALL DAY. Your general anxiety and eye strain will lower with this one simple screen-free day.

Try Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Our brain confuses blue light from screens with sunlight and it messes with melatonin production we need for our regular sleep cycles. Did you know blue light from your computer screen can cause headaches, insomnia, and fatigue? Why not pick up or order a pair of blue light blocking glasses to use when you’re working? You don’t have to wear those yellow glasses they sell at the health food store either (cue sigh of relief). Check out these LadyBoss Glasses for functional eye care, or check out some cheaper but still stylish options by TIJN on Amazon.

Eye Creams & Face Masks

The muscles that move our eyes around can always benefit from some TLC. Just as we put creams on our skin to reduce muscle tension, we can use eye creams to soothe the actual eye socket. The tension we hold in our facial muscles that surround the eye can also be released with a nice exfoliating scrub or mask with soothing cucumber or other natural compounds. The more expensive creams can run $50 to $100, but there are literally hundreds of other affordable options on the market. Burt’s Bees has a great eye brightening treatment for $13 on Amazon. Or, you can always slice up some cucumbers for your eyes and DIY a face mask.

Eye Exercises

Taking micro-rests throughout the day is recommended by doctors. Many desk jockeys use the 20-20-20 approach. You can start trying this today by setting a timer for every twenty minutes. When the timer goes off stare at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds. There are also great yoga stretches for your eyes that are known to improve eyesight and even reverse blindness. Rub your palms together to create heat and cup them over your eyes. Look up then down ten times. Look left then right ten times. Move your eyes in circles in both directions ten times slowly and then diagonally in both directions ten times slowly.

Dim the Lights

Fluorescent lighting, sunlight glare or overly reflective areas can cause significant eye strain. Dim the lights for this Self-Care Sunday and keep the ambiance calm. You will notice how your eyes feel relieved with less harsh lighting and it may inspire you to change the lighting in your daily workspace.

Try Eye Health Supplements

Irwin Naturals has a formula with natural compounds that can reduce itchiness, blurry vision and strain. You can also check out bilberry, which is known to improve eye health. Foods that are good for your eye health are plants rich in Vitamin A which can help prevent cataracts. Sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, and cantaloupe are just some of the many plants rich in this compound.

Concluding Thoughts…

These practices affect your mood and energy level as well as care for your eyes. You might even incorporate some them into your daily routine! Not only can your eye strain be significantly reduced, but your long-term vision can also be improved, as well as your overall mental health. The electronics we use so much in our technology-driven lifestyles emit positive ions, which strain your nervous system, immune system, and can lead to mental fatigue and depression.

When you put down those screens this Sunday seek out natural sources of negative ions by being near moving water, taking an Epsom salt bath, getting a Himalayan salt lamp, walking in nature, or meditating with some black tourmaline, amethyst, or selenite crystals.

Related Article: Self-Care Sunday: How to Start the Week Anxiety Free