Wakey wakey. If your tired peepers are causing you to nod off at your desk this morning, don’t reach for another coffee. Give me a few minutes to let you in on some secrets to rest and rejuvenate your eyes completely unassisted by caffeine and sugar.
Eye strain is a common occurrence for office workers. The first thing you should look at is your desk set up. Some of you might be familiar with the fancy term – Ergonomic Assessment. This helps you to set your desk space using efficient posture and body alignment principles to reduce pain, strain and tension while you work.
Here’s some quick check points for you.
- When you sit at your desk your feet should be flat on the ground, parallel to each other at hip distance.
- Your knees should be bent at right angles, and your hips and back should be resting comfortably against the back of your chair.
- Your shoulders should be relaxed and your elbows bent at 90 degrees when typing on your keyboard.
- Your chin should be lifted so that your gaze towards your computer screen is in a horizontal line. Prop the screen up if you need to – the old White Pages that hasn’t been used in years should do it!
One big factor that affects eye strain is the distance between you and your computer screen. You should have your screen at arm’s length. Give it a go – reach your arm straight out in front of you. Do your fingertips touch the screen? If you can’t reach, or you can touch the screen with your arm still bent, shuffle it to the right position.
Now that you are ergonomically friendly let’s move on to a few quick exercises you can do at your desk to soothe and refresh your eyes – they are the windows to the soul, let’s give them a treat.
Eye Strain Solution:
To soothe your strained eyes, rub the palms of your hands together quickly to generate heat, then place them softly over your eyes. Keep them resting gently until the heat disappears.
The theory behind this exercise is that the eyes radiate a strong, narrow stream of energy outward. The palms resting over the top redirect that energy back into the eyes. Soothing and refreshing!
You can also take mini breaks from your computer screen as you work.
- Refocus every 10 minutes by looking away from your computer – look around the office or see what’s happening outside your window.
- Once every hour close your eyes, let your face soften. Slowly roll your eyes in a circle (make sure you keep your eyes closed for the rolling or it could get you in trouble with the boss!), take a few breaths, open your eyes and return to action.
Did you make it through this blog and try the exercises? Hopefully you no longer feel the need to crawl under your desk for a quick powernap. Share this with your friends and colleagues if you think they could use an eye refresher.
Stretch and smile,
Kacey
Kula Corporate Yoga provides Melbourne workplaces with group yoga programs to build employee health, fitness and wellbeing. Kula Yoga offers staff a unique yoga experience to strengthen their minds and bodies. Find out more about our beneficial group yoga programs on our website www.kulayoga.com.au.
