10 Tips For Improving Your Eyesight While Using Lighted Electronic Screens

Our computers, tablets and phones are blamed for making our eyesight worse.

But, what if we could use them to make our eyesight better?

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Our Vision Is Declining

Our eyesight is getting worse. It is estimated that by 2050, over half of the world’s population will be nearsighted. Although eye doctors are able to correct our blurry vision, they readily admit being unable to improve our eyesight. They can correct the symptoms, but cannot resolve their underlying cause. For even after lenses are prescribed or surgery is performed, our vision typically continues to get worse, requiring progressively higher prescriptions or more surgeries.

To complicate things, our declining vision increases our risk for further vision problems, including eye diseases. The worse our eyesight, the higher our risk, even with vision correction.

Electronic Screens Are Blamed For The Decline In Our Vision

Our increasing use of computers, tablets and phones is blamed for the decline of our vision. We are spending a lot of time in front of screens, with our eyes being exposed to their unnatural light, an over abundance of blue light, flicker and electromagnetic frequencies. But, what if our computers, tablets and phones are not only to blame? What if the screens themselves are not the only factor? What if how we are using them is also a factor?

After all, although music is a factor in hearing loss, how loudly we play it through our headphones is as well. And automobiles are a factor in car accidents, but so is how we drive them. Our computers, tablets and phones do seem to be a factor in our declining vision, but so is how we use them. And, what if how we’re using them isn’t just one of the factors in our declining vision, but a major one?

What if how we are using our lighted electronic screens is the major factor contributing to our declining vision?

Our Vision Can Be Improved

Lighted electronic screens are not going away. They have become an integral part of our daily lives. And since they are here to stay, how can we leverage their use to our advantage? Specifically, how can we use them in a way that is not only better for our eyes, but can improve our eyesight rather than make it worse?

This is what this post is about: How to use our computer, tablet, smart phone, or any device with a lighted electronic screen to improve our eyesight.

“When I first learned about Natural Vision Improvement, I thought, “Oh no, I’m gonna have to go live in a cave. I won’t be able to use screens anymore.” But, in actuality, natural vision improvement was teaching me how to use the screens differently. Natural vision improvement training enabled me to work with screens all day and every day without experiencing those negative side effects.”

– Nathan Oxenfeld

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10 TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR EYESIGHT WHILE USING LIGHTED ELECTRONIC SCREENS

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1. BREATHE

Become Aware Of Your Breathing

• While you are viewing your screen and reading this electronic text, are you aware of how you are you breathing?
• What is the quality of your breath? Is it easy? Is it relaxed? While breathing, are you holding tension anywhere in your body? Is there tension in the muscles of your face, neck, shoulders, chest, belly that is affecting your breathing? Are you breathing shallow? Is your belly tight and limiting the movement of your diaphragm? Are you overusing your chest muscles ? Do you find yourself holding your breath? Periodically sighing?
• Becoming aware of where you might be holding tension and how it relates to the quality of your breathing is a first step in learning to breathe in a relaxed way.

Breathe In A Relaxed Way

• Relaxed breathing is the foundation of health, wellness and normal vision. If your breathing is not relaxed, then your mind, body and eyes are not relaxed. And if your eyes are not relaxed, it is more difficult to see. Relaxed and effortless vision requires relaxed effortless breathing.
• There are many practices for increasing breath awareness and of reestablishing relaxed breathing. My breath awareness journey began with yoga teachers training where I learned that relaxed breathing is effortless, slow, smooth, even, quiet, without pause and through the nose.

The First Habit Of Natural Vision: Breathing

Breathe Through Your Nose

• Breathing through your nose rather than your mouth is relaxing. Breathe through your nose most of the time. Mouth breathing may be needed during vigorous exercise, when you need as much air as you can get. But most of the time it’s not necessary.
• When done habitually, continually, and when not needed, mouth breathing creates undo stress for your mind, body and eyes.

Breathing Through Your Nose Is Healthy

• Nose breathing is healthy and relaxing, lowering your breathing rate, heart rate, blood pressure and enabling you to think more clearly. It signals to your body that all is well and you are safe. Nose breathing can help you remain calm and relaxed during times of stress and throughout your day.
• Nose breathing does many positive things for you. It filters, warms, moistens and regulates the air you breathe. It creates nitric-oxide which is good for your cardiovascular system. It helps to balance your brain and nervous system. It initiates the creation of hormones and chemicals that keep you healthy.

The Buteyko Method

• I first experienced the amazing benefits of nose breathing on a cold Winter morning in Illinois in 2012 when I shoveled the snow from my entire driveway while breathing through my nose. I had just learned about the Buteyko method, a practice that helps people suffering from asthma based on reestablishing nose breathing as your primary habit of breathing.
• On that clear snow covered morning the temperature was well below freezing. Shoveling the driveway took me an hour, during which I kept my mouth shut. Surprisingly, I was able to get enough air through my nose the whole time. And happily, my lungs and chest felt pleasantly comfortable and warm. Afterwards, my body felt energized and my mind clear. It was easier and than I had expected.
• It took time and practice, but since then, nose breathing has become my normal and habitual way of breathing.

2. BLINK

Blink Effortlessly

• Regular blinking is normal. And normal blinking is a gentle activity. Only your eyelids blink. The rest of your facial muscles are completely relaxed. It should feel effortless.
• You cannot overdue blinking, if done lightly and gently.

Blink Frequently

• Blink more often. Increase your blinking rate while looking at screens, maybe instead of 15 times a minute, increase it to 30 times a minute, or even 60 times a minute (once every second). Set an intention to increase your blinking rate.
• It is amazing how something so simple can make such a big difference, and can lead to big changes. Don’t underestimate something as simple as blinking.

Blink Instead Of Squint

• Squinting makes things appear more clear. Squeezing your eye lids together creates a pin hole effect that blocks out some of the peripheral light rays, allowing more central light rays to land directly on the retina. But, it is a trick. It is only temporary and cannot be sustained without great effort. It is a strain, causing great tension in the muscles of the face and eyes that in the long run lowers vision.
• Instead of squinting, BLINK!
• Blinking can clear up blurry vision without causing any strain on your visual system.
• Blinking is normal and makes vision better. Squinting is not, and makes vision worse.

Blink To Protect Your Eyes

• Blinking is a reflex. It happens automatically, effortlessly.
• When something comes flying towards your face, you reflexively blink, for a fraction of a second, keeping your precious eyes safer.

Blink to Clean & Moisten Your Eyes

• Frequent blinking sweeps away small particles, keeping your eyes clean.
• Blinking keeps your eyes moist, preventing dry eyes, itchiness, pain and infections.

Blink To Spread Tears

• Normal blinking is essential to ensure the normal distribution of tears that protect the surface of the eye. 
• Some people blink more, some less often.  When looking at screens, that blinking can plummet. You may not be blinking as much as you need to. Your tear film may evaporate faster and you may end up with dry eyes and irritation.

While using lighted electronic screens, one of the most common, unnatural and detrimental habits that can lower your vision is staring. Keeping your eyes open and unmoving for long periods of time strains the eyes.

But, there is a natural and simple solution: Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink…

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3. SHIFT

“Shift your glance constantly from one point to another, seeing the part regarded best and other parts not so clearly. That is, when you look at a chair, do not try to see the whole object at once: look first at the back of it, seeing that part best, and other parts worse.”

– William H. Bates, M.D.

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Keep Your Mind & Eyes Moving

• Continue to move your attention around the screen. Allow your eyes to follow your attention. Look with with interest from one point to another. Be curious. Notice details, shapes, shades, colors. Keep you mind and eyes moving, rather than parking them at one spot on the screen.
• Dr. Bates called this natural movement of mind and eyes “shifting.” Shifting introduces the natural vision principle of central fixation. In shifting, you are focusing your attention on one point for a moment, then another point, then another, never keeping your attention at the same point for more than a fraction of a second. Your eyes will naturally and effortlessly follow.
• Thomas R. Quackenbush calls this “sketching”, but it’s the same thing. In his book, “Relearning To See: Improve Your Eyesight – Naturally!” he states, “One might think that in order to see an object clearly, one must lock the sight rigidly onto the object of interest. “The opposite is the case. Never lock your vision. Sketch or shift to different objects all day long.”

Now, Put It All Together: Breathe, Blink & Shift

• Breathing, blinking and shifting are good vision habits. All three require dynamic relaxation and are the epitome of effortlessness normal vision.
• As you breath, blink and shift, eagerly seek details. Keep your attention moving. And your eyes following. Your body allowing. This is normal vision… even while using electronic screens
• Breathing is your body letting go of tension.
• Blinking is your eyes letting go of staring.
• Shifting is your mind letting go of strain..

Allow your eyes to follow your attention and your head to follow your eyes.

“Relaxed eye motion, or “shifting” as Bates called it, happens as a result of shifts in your attention. Whatever you are interested in, whatever you are curious about, that’s where your eyes want to go. And the greater your interest, curiosity and attention for small details, the more motion your eyes get.“

– Esther Joy van der Werf

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4. LOOK AT ALL DISTANCES

Focus Your Eyes At Different Distances

• Don’t just focus at the distance of your screen.
• Look away from the screen and into the distance regularly. Make it a habit to look away from and beyond the screen regularly and often.
• Do better than the 20/20/20 rule. Eye doctors say, “Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet or further, for 20 seconds.” But, can we do it even more frequently? Why wait 20 minutes? Look away and beyond the screen as often as you can. Make it a habit to give your eyes this contrasting break.
• If you’re at a computer, set yourself up so you’re facing a window, so you can look outside and into the distance frequently. This also allows your eyes to enjoy natural sunlight. Although some wavelengths may be blocked by the window, your eyes will still be enjoy a fuller and more pleasant color spectrum than just your computer screen.
• If you can’t face a window, face into the room, rather than towards a wall.
• If you must face a wall, place a large mirror on the wall and use the mirror to regularly look into the distance behind you.

Increase Contrast

• One reason why your eyes may feel uncomfortable and tired following screen time is a lack of contrast. By letting your eyes look away and come back, you are creating contrast. 
• Looking at the same distance and same surface for too long is a strain on the mind and eyes. The brain and the eyes crave contrast – looking at different distances, moving and making adjustments. This contrast is relaxing for the eyes and the brain.
• Using your eyes at the same distance can drain your energy. Increasing contrast by looking away and beyond the screen can boost your energy level and therefore productivity. This can allow you to work on screens for longer with less fatigue and discomfort.

5. NOTICE YOUR PERIPHERY

Maintain Awareness Of Your Peripheral Vision

• Your eyes are light-lovers, and are therefore attracted to the light from electronic screens. Because of this, you may tend to look intently at your screen for long periods of time. You may experience tunnel vision, becoming only aware of the lighted screen that’s in your central vision and neglecting your peripheral vision.
• Electronic screens provide an additional challenge to your eyes of having to focus on pixels of light. Converging your eyes, pointing them at the details you wish to see, is not any harder on a lighted screen, but judging the correct distance is. It is more difficult to focus directly on the right spot when looking into a pixel of light rather than at a solid surface, such as a piece of paper or a page in a book.
• The information your brain gathers from your peripheral vision allows it to compare your distance from the screen to the distance of nearby solid objects, so it can better estimate the required focal distance. If you are staring with tunnel vision, unaware of what’s in your periphery, your brain and eyes have no reference for judging distance. The correct distance can’t as easily be determined. This can create strain.
• When looking at electronic screens, remain aware of what’s in your peripheral field around the screen.  Keep your peripheral vision open.

Beware of tunnel vision. Remain aware of what’s in your periphery.

The eyes are light lovers, and are attracted to the light of electronic screens like a moth to a flame.

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Notice Movement

• As you look at your computer, tablet or smart phone screen, notice if there is anything moving in your peripheral field.
  • For example: My cat, Bella, is sitting on my desk just to the right of the computer screen. As I’m focusing on the words that I’m now typing and not looking at Bella, I’m noticing her tail swishing a bit…her head turning toward the computer… licking her front right paw… and using it to clean her face… scratching her chin with her left rear paw… settling down, relatively still, her belly moving gently as she breathes. And since I’m facing a window, I’m also noticing the palm trees outside blowing in the gentle breeze… a delivery truck driving by… a woman sitting at a table at the community pool turning the page of a book… her long grey hair blowing in the breeze.

Notice Apparent Motion

• Notice the illusion of motion in relation to where you are putting your attention and focus.
  • For example: As I type each of these words, my attention and gaze is gradually moving to the right… and I’m noticing the line of words gradually moving to the left… and the edges of the computer screen gradually moving to the left.. and the surface of my desk… Bella… the window frame beyond the desk also appear to be moving to the left. And as I get to the right margin, and swing my attention and gaze back to the left side of the text, the entire paragraph, the entire computer screen, the entire computer, my desk and beyond my desk, all appear to swing to the right.
• The eyes absolutely love noticing this illusion of apparent motion and find it very relaxing. It releases eyestrain.
• By remaining aware of what’s happening in your peripheral field and noticing movement and the illusion of apparent motion, your eyes get to relax and enjoy your time at the computer, tablet or phone.

“A swing is not something you do; it is something you see.

Swing: The apparent motion of stationary objects in response to motion of the body.”

– Esther Joy van der Werf

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Provide Movement In Your Periphery

• Play a video in a small window on your browser in the periphery of the window you are working with. Play videos of movement and relaxation, such as nature scenes, with nature sounds, relaxing music, anything moving, soothing and relaxing for you. 
• Place a lava lamp or something with movement on the desk to the side. The peripheral rods are stimulated by the movement.
• Hang a colorful mobile in your periphery that gently moves with subtle air currents.
• Face a window, where you can notice things moving outside your room beyond the screen: clouds drifting, trees swaying, birds flying, people and pets walking, cars driving, etc.

Balance Out Light-Source Color With Pigmentary Color

• Also, as you take notice of your peripheral vision, take a moment now and then to actually look at what is not on the screen. There is a difference between light-source color and pigmentary color. They have different qualities of color. Pigmentary color, that is colored light reflected off of a solid surface, can be more restful than light-source color. It may help to take breaks to look at surfaces with pigmentary color to give your cones a rest and recharge.

“I personally have  my computer right in front of a window. I have a window in front of me that I have access to, letting the world move out there, the clouds, the cars, the people. And now, instead of having my computer in front of a static wall, I have a dynamic peripheral environment moving around my screen. And that has changed how my eyes feel when I have to be at the computer for a while. It’s almost like I am outside.”

– Nathan Oxenfeld

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6. CLOSE YOUR EYES

You May Close Your Eyes

• Listen to your eyes. Close and rest them when they feel uncomfortable or tired. Better yet, close and rest them before they feel uncomfortable or tired.

Find Opportunities To Close Your Eyes

• Make closing your eyes, even momentarily a priority.
• Turn it into a game. How many opportunities can you find to close your eyes? When you are thinking of what to write; When a commercial pops up during a video; When your eyes are asking to be closed.
• You can close your eyes momentarily while a web page is opening, instead of staring at it with impatience while your tear film evaporates. If a web page is opening really slowly, you can closed your eyes periodically peak to check, “Has it loaded yet?” “No, it’s still loading, so I’ll close my eyes again for another inhale and exhale.” or “Yeah, here it is, we’re ready to go.”

Remember & Imagine With Your Eyes Closed

• Find moments when you can close your eyes while using screens.
• One possibility is when watching a movie. At first this may seem counter intuitive. Why would you want to close your eyes during a movie? You might miss a good scene, an important part of the movie. But, if you do it for a short period of time, you can start to activate your imagination. You can begin to visualize, so that when you close your eyes, you don’t just shut off. With eyes closed, you continue to listen and imagine what’s happening on the screen as if your eyes were still open, remembering the characters faces, imagining the action on the screen.

It can become a fun time to infuse imaginative closed eyes time into open eyes time while watching a movie. 

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Make Closing Your Eyes A Habit

• Close your eyes often. Spend more time closing them while using screens, but not just as a break. It is great to take breaks, to take time for your eyes to rest. But in addition, see if you can close your eyes regularly while using screens. Try making closing your eyes regularly a new and common habit, a new way of engagement with screens.

Learn Touch-Typing

• Learn to touch-type so you can close your eyes while typing at a computer keyboard. There are plenty of free online touch-typing programs available. If you get proficient at touch-typing, you can type while your eyes are closed and resting, while looking away from the screen or looking into the distance, or while sway or doing short swings. (As I’m typing this, I am looking out the window watching the neighbor kids riding their bikes around the parking lot. And now I’m closing and resting my eyes. They are feeling very relaxed quite comfortable. My eyes are still closed as I’m visualizing these words that I am typing).

Use Text-To-Speech

• You can also utilize text-to-speech technology. For example, if you have a long reading to do, you could close and palm your eyes while listening to the computer reading it to you. You’re still absorbing the information, getting your reading done with your eyes closed.

Make It A Game

• Make closing your eyes a game.  How often can you close your eyes? How often do you keep your eyes open when it’s not necessary to do so? How easy and restful it is to close them momentarily, often and regularly. 

7. REMOVE YOUR GLASSES

Wear Your Glasses Only When Necessary

• The focal length of your eyes is always changing automatically, depending on the distance you are looking. Normal vision is flexible and fluid, focusing at different distances continually and effortlessly as needed.
• The focal length of artificial lenses is static, forcing your eyes to work to see clearly at different distances, even at distances for which the prescription is not intended. Your eyes may manage to do this, but not without straining.
• Take your glasses off whenever you can. Taking your glasses off frees you’re eyes, providing them the opportunity to relax and practice good vision habits as they change focal distances.
• You can strain with your glasses off, and may have the habit of doing so. There is a great temptation to consciously try to clear up any blur by staring or squinting. So, while your glasses are off, remind yourself to practice good vision habits such as breathing in a naturally relaxed way, closing and resting your eyes often, blinking regularly, shifting your attention and moving your gaze around the screen.
• While you are wearing your glasses, you can still practice these same good vision habits.

Be Safe

• Do wear your glasses when it feels safer to do so, such as while driving.

“The simple fact, however, is that the fitting of glasses can never be satisfactory. The refraction of the eye is continually changing.”

– William H. Bates, M.D., from “The Imperfect Sight of the Normal Eye,” N. Y. Med. Journal, Sept. 8, 1917

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Wear Lower Prescription Glasses

• If you do choose or need to wear glasses while using a screen, use glasses that give you less than 20/20 vision, for example 20/40. This gives your eyes room to relax. Wearing glasses that give you sharp vision, 20/20 or better, forces your eye muscles to strain and gives your eyes no room to letting go and relax into experiencing greater clarity.

Wear Computer Glasses

• If you wear glasses prescribed for distance, take them off or switch to computer glasses while using your computer, tablet or phone. Glasses for distance are too strong for close screen use.
• Computer glasses are not as strong of a prescription as your regular glasses. They are made for the distance of your computer screen, which is only at about arm’s length. Full-strength glasses are not made for that distance and force your eyes to strain in order to see your computer screen clearly.
• You can get computer glasses from your eye doctor or online.

Wear Blue Light-Blocking Glasses

• Digital light is unnatural. It does not provide complete natural light, and is missing some wavelengths. It also tends to be heavy in the blue light spectrum which has been shown to be detrimental for the eyes.
• You can remedy this by wearing blue light-blocking glasses or placing a physical blue light-blocking filter over your screen.

Blue Light-Blocking Software

• There are many blue light-blocking software programs available that allow you to decrease blue light wavelengths on computers, tablets and phones.
• f.lux is a simple and popular app.
• There is a Night Shift mode on iPhones for blocking blue light.
• Too low of a flicker rate may be stressful for the brain and a strain on the eyes. Iris is a more advanced app that allows you to decrease blue-light wavelengths without lowering flicker rate. Newer computer monitors with advanced technology for controlling flicker rate are available and are said to be easier on the eyes.

Wear Glasses Instead Of Contacts

• Wear glasses rather than contacts. Glasses are easier to take off and put back on quickly, which gives you more moments without them. They can be slipped in a shirt pocket or purse, always at the ready if needed.
• Contacts are more freeing, giving your eyes full range of motion, which is a plus. But, it’s more of a hassle to take them off and very tempting to just leave them in for long periods of time.
• If you do choose to wear contacts, keep your contact lens case and solution with you so you can remove your contacts when you find opportunities to do so.

Avoid Progressive Lenses

• Avoid using multi-prescription glasses, such as bifocals, trifocals or progressives.
• Multi-focal glasses force the eyes to look at unnatural angles, creating imbalances in the eye muscles that can lead to astigmatisms.
• If you must wear glasses, even though inconvenient, it’s better and more relaxing for the eyes to use single prescription lenses.

What Do Glasses Do To Us?

Your vision fluctuates. Sometimes you see better, sometimes you see worse. This is normal. The forced maintaining of a constant degree of refractive error with glasses is a strain to your eyes.

8. ADJUST FONT SIZE

Make Text Readable By Adjusting Its Size

• The beauty of electronic screens is that you can make things bigger and smaller. The option to enlarge or reduce font sizes is very useful. Larger text may allow you to view your screens and read text without putting your glasses on.
• But, making the font size too big and too easy to read may increase your tendency to strain. With too big of a font size, you may continue poor vision habits, since you can easily read large font even while straining.

Make Text Bigger, But Not Too Big

• Therefore, set the font size to one that is large enough to read without straining, but not any larger than it absolutely has to be.
• Adjust the font size to where you must relax and use good vision habits, such as breathing, blinking, and shifting, in order to read it, but not overly big that you fall back into the habit of straining, such as breathing shallow, staring, and not shifting your attention.
• Adjust the text to a size that is a little blurry, but you can clear it up by practicing relaxed vision habits.

Fine Print Can Be Used To Improve Vision

• The fact is that small text, whether printed on paper or on an electronic screen, can be used as a tool to improve vision. Text that requires relaxation in order to clear up and read can give you the opportunity to relax your mind and eyes and practice good vision habits.
• Fine print, that is so small that it is impossible for you to read with effort, helps you in giving up consciously trying to make your vision better.
• When you realize that normal vision is effortless, automatic and beyond your conscious control, you can begin to practice letting go of trying, and your vision will improve.

9. MOVE

“Some persons with imperfect sight have been cured simply by imagining that they see things moving all day long.”

– William H. Bates, M.D.

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Move Your Body

• During screen time, change the position that your body is in. Mix it up.
• Stand up. Sit down. Stand up again for a bit. Sit back down for a while. Sit on a chair. Sit on a ball. Sit cross-legged. Stretch. Bend. Twist. Fidget. Get a glass of water. Move.
• Don’t stay in the same position for too long.

Sit

• If sitting in a chair while using your computer, tablet or phone, sit upright rather than rounding forward or reclining against the back of the chair..
• Sitting upright engages and tones the postural muscles in your legs and hips (gluteal and psoas muscles), back and neck (abdominal and spinal muscles).
• Keep your head and neck free and mobile rather than resting it back against a headrest or supporting it on your hands.
• Sit on a stool that has no back support.
• Sit on a stool with wheels or one that can spin, so you can move your body more, rolling side-to-side, forward-and-back.
• Sit on a large exercise ball. Take momentary breaks and lay back and stretch over the ball.

Stand

• Stand while using your computer, tablet or phone.
• Stand at a counter or high table.
• Use a “sit-stand” desk
• Alternate sitting and standing.

Find A More Comfortable & Relaxing Position

• Ask yourself:
  • “Is there a more ergonomic position I can bring my head and body into?”
  • “Is there a better habit here?”
  • “Is there tension anywhere in my body that I can let go of?”
  • “What about my eyelids, are they moving? Am I blinking?”
  • “Am I shifting my attention around the screen?”
  • “Am I looking near and far, looking beyond the screen now and then?”
  • “Am I breathing?”
  • “Is it time for a long blink? Yes it is.” So, you close your eyes, connect with your breath and let your eyes rest for a moment.
• At first it may seem like a lot to be aware of, moving, adjusting, changing, but little by little these changes can happen more and more. And the good way they make you feel can create a positive feedback loop, where your body actually wants more of it, because it feels better.
• Eventually, these adjustments become automatic, and the screen looks better too.

During screen time, keep changing the position that your body is in. And don’t stay in the same position for too long.

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Bring The Screen Closer

• Screens suck us in. Screens draw our attention towards it. Our head and upper body tends to move toward the screen. 
• Instead of moving your head and upper body toward the screen, maintain a balanced posture and bring the screen closer to you.

Move The Screen Higher

• Place or hold the screen higher. You can use a selfie stick for your phone to more comfortably hold it at a higher level.
• Often electronic screens are too low, especially phones, and it’s easy to hang your head forward and down. It’s all too common to bend at the base of the neck.
• It is a common texting habit to hinge the spine at the 7^th cervical vertebra. This is not a joint designed to hinge. Doing so can cause problems. Instead, tip your head at the base of your skull where it meets the top of your neck. This area, where your neck meets your skull, is the only hinge joint on your spine.
• If the screen is too low, it’s also tempting turn your eyes down. Turning the eyes down is common if you wear half lens readers or bifocals. It would be best to avoid these types of glasses. They force your eyes to look unnaturally down for extended periods of time, causing additional strain to the neck and eye muscles.

Orient Your Eyes With The Top Of The Screen

• Keep your eyes level with horizontal top edge of the screen.  It is more relaxing and easier for your eyes to move horizontally rather than at an angle. If the screen is at an angle to your eyes, this can create eye strain.

Keep Your Head & Neck Free & Mobile

• While sitting or standing, imagine your head is very light like a helium balloon. And imagine your spine is the string hanging from the balloon.
• Allow your head to lightly float, like a balloon. Feel it lifting, lengthening the back of your neck and your entire spine.
• Release your shoulders and allow them to hang on your spine, the string of the balloon.
• Let go of tension and soften your belly, waist and low back and breathe naturally.
• Smile as you soften the face, eyelids, eyes, cheeks, jaw, throat, neck and shoulders.
• Blink often and gently.
• Shift your attention around the screen from one point to another, look beyond the screen and back to the screen, keep moving your gaze.
• Keep your head and neck free and mobile.

Avoid Using Electronic Screens In Bed

• Phones, tablets and laptops are commonly used while reclining in bed, on a couch or in a recliner, leading to eyestrain for various reasons. This can create eye strain.
• Reclining immobilizes the whole body. And freedom to move is a integral part of normal vision.
• Having your head resting on a headrest, pillow, or multiple pillows immobilizes the head and neck, forcing the eyes to move independently of rest of the body. This can lead to imbalances in the muscles of the eyes as they strain against the other unmoving muscles of the body.
• In addition, the habit of reclining while using screens for long periods of time disengages your postural and core muscles. The muscles deep in your body that normally support you get no input. Un-activated and asked to do nothing, they can lose tone, making them less able to support you when needed, leading to postural issues.

Movement Is Normal

• There is no perfect posture to maintain while using electronic screens. There is no one best position to keep your body in. This is because your body was not designed to remain still. It was designed to move. If you stay in one position for too long, even if it’s the most ergonomically correct, you cannot remain in it for too long without eventually feeling discomfort, without your body telling you to change position, to fidget, to move.

Movement Is Healthy

• Movement improves your circulation, encourages relaxed breathing, engages, tones and balances your muscles, lubricates and loosens your joints, massages your internal organs, balances your brain and nervous system, reduces fatigue and is more comfortable than remaining in the same position for long periods of time.

Movement Is An Important Aspect Of Normal Vision

• Moving is relaxing for the mind, body and eyes and produces clear vision.
• Not moving is a strain for the mind, body and eyes. Not moving produces blurry vision.

10. BE OPTIMISTIC

Choose A More Positive Attitude

• Screens have both a good and bad reputation. If you choose to see the good that screens have to offer you, rather than dwell on the bad, you are more likely to have a relaxing and positive experience while using them.
• Do your best to enjoy using your computer, tablet or phone. Enjoying what you do is more relaxing and less likely to the cause the mental and visual strain that leads to imperfect sight.
• Remain present, alert and interested in what you are doing. This can help you to “focus” on what you are looking at, not just mentally, but physically as well. Optimism during screen time can literally help you see the screen more clearly, by improving your ability to focus your eyes at the correct distance.
• If you are relaxed and positive, you are more likely to use your eyes well and practice good habits of normal vision, such as breathing, blinking and shifting your attention and gaze. And, your eyesight will be better because of it.

Take A Break

• If you find yourself becoming negative, do what you can to change your attitude.
• If unable to change your attitude, take a break. If you can, step away from the screen for a moment. This may help give you space to improve your attitude.

If You Weren’t Wired For Electronic Screens

• If you grew up when I did, which was long before computers and smart phones, at times you may find using them frustrating and a challenge.
• When my attitude takes a dive, I have learned to take a quick break. I step away and do something else. When I return to the screen, my attitude is always more positive.

Optimism is a great help in obtaining a cure of imperfect sight.”

– William H. Bates, M.D.

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IN SUMMARY

Yes, around the world eyesight has been getting worse. There are many factors, including the increased use of light electronic screens. But, this is not the only one. How screens are used is a factor as well. Screen habits have a profound influence on eyesight, determining whether vision declines or improves.

Long before lighted electronic screens, ophthalmologist Dr. William H. Bates demonstrated that mental and visual strain is the cause of poor eyesight. He showed that vision fluctuates, getting worse with habits of mental and visual strain, and improving with habits of mental and visual ease. Even now, in the computer age, the same holds true. Strain always has, and always will, be the most common cause of poor eyesight.

You can improve your eyesight, even while using screens. Changing your mental and visual habits from those of strain to those of ease is the key. I hope you find these 10 tips helpful in starting to use screens in ways that can benefit your vision and even improve your eyesight.

Here they are listed again:

10 Tips For Improving Your Eyesight While Using Lighted Electronic Screens

1. Breathe
2. Blink
3. Shift
4. Look At All Distances
5. Notice Your Periphery
6. Close Your Eyes
7. Remove Your Glasses
8. Adjust Font Size
9. Move
10. Be Optimistic

I’m sure these are not the only ways to leverage lighted electronic screens for improving eyesight. With a little creativity, the possibilities are probably endless.

Just remember the principles of normal vision: relaxation, movement, central fixation, memory and imagination. Apply these principles while using your computer, tablet or phone or while watching television and you’ll be on the right track.

What are your thoughts? I welcome your comments and suggestions.

P.S. GET OUTSIDE

I almost forgot… one last tip, probably the most important one.

Screens have the tendency to keep you inside. Some are too big and heavy to carry with you and must be plugged into an electric outlet, such as desktop computers and televisions. Those that are portable and have batteries, such as laptops, tablets and phones, send you back inside when they loose their charge. One conflict with the outdoors and lighted electronic screens is that they are more difficult to see outside, especially in bright sunlight. And when you turn the brightness up to counteract the sunshine, the battery doesn’t last long.

Still, that being said, if you really want to improve your eyesight, get outside. If your modern lifestyle is having you spend way too much time indoors, do something about it. Make getting outside a priority. Getting outside is probably the best thing you can do for your vision. Getting outside provides natural full-spectrum light, an infinite variety of distances, movements, colors, objects, shapes, patterns and sensations. Getting outside is natural, necessary, a delightful treat and healing experience for your eyes.

Getting outside may take some planning and prioritizing, but your precious eyes are worth it.

Vision Tip #3: Get Outside

Resources

• “More Than Fifty Percent of the World Population Will Be Myopic by 2050” Beyoglu Eye Journal
  . 2021 Dec 17;6(4):255–256. doi: 10.14744/bej.2021.27146
• “The Nearsighted Epidemic Has Become A Global Health Issue” article by Gary Stix, Scientific American. 2024 Oct 1
• Himalayan Yoga & Meditation Center, Palatine, Illinois, https://www.hymc.org
• The Buteyko Breathing Association, https://www.buteykobreathing.org
• “Optimal Eyesight: How To Restore And Retain Great Vision” by Esther Joy van der Werf
• “Bates Method Nuggets: The Fundamentals of Natural Vision Improvement” by William H. Bates, M.D., Compiled by Esther Joy van der Werf
• “Preserving Eye Health in a Screen-Filled World” video with Gabrielle Buresch-Teichmann and Nathan Oxenfeld
• “Relearning To See: Improve Your Eyesight – Naturally!” by Thomas R. Quackenbush
• “Better Eyesight Podcast: A Monthly Podcast That Reads The Better Eyesight Magazine From 100 Years Ago” with Nathan Oxenfeld and Esterh Joy van der Werf

Credits

• Featured image by Alexandre Faria