Rest Your Eyes with These Vision Break Activities

For those among us with photophobia or photosensitivity to bright lights, who spend countless hours in front of screens — be it as digital nomads, remote workers, or students exploring the extensive realm of online education — taking regular breaks to rest our eyes is crucial for preserving both our eye health and overall well-being. But what should you do during these breaks? Sitting in silence isn’t the only option. Here’s a guide to making the most out of your vision breaks, filled with activities that are beneficial and some that are best avoided.

Strategies for Minimizing Eye Strain with Low Vision

Before we dive into what to do during your vision breaks, it’s crucial to understand how to minimize eye strain in the first place. Here are some strategies that are proven to combat the effects of extended screen time:

• Blue Light Filters: Activating blue light filters on my computer, tablet, and phone has been a game-changer. These filters reduce the amount of blue light emitted from screens, which can cause eye strain and disrupt sleep patterns. Bonus tip: You can also wear blue light blocking glasses for added protection.
• Tinted Glasses:Having a pair of prescription glasses with a uniform color tint is beneficial in brightly lit environments. Additionally, tinted glasses that fit over prescription lenses are available in a range of colors, allowing you to choose according to your taste. Alternatively, ensuring adequate lighting is essential for minimizing eye strain. It’s important to avoid direct glare or harsh lighting that falls directly in your line of sight. Properly positioning your screen to avoid reflections can also significantly reduce eye strain.
• Adjust Screen Settings: This is pretty self-explanatory – it’s essential to adjust the brightness, contrast, and font size on your devices. This will help reduce eye strain and improve readability. It’s best to opt for a high-contrast theme with a dark background and light text, as this is easier on the eyes. Another tip is to lower the intensity of bright colors on the display. This helps reduce glare. This setting can be found under “Accessibility” on most devices.
• Timers and Reminders: Setting reminders to take regular breaks can keep you from overexerting your eyes. It’s easy to get lost in work or studies and forget to take breaks, so setting a timer is a great way to ensure you give your eyes the rest they need. Sometimes your eyes feel heavy and need rest, so the best thing to do is to simply close your eyes. If you’re at home, pick comfortable spot, lie down, and do your best not to fall asleep! Need help practicing? 20-20-20 Rule: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something at least 20 feet away. This strategy helps relax the ciliary muscles in your eyes that are responsible for focusing on nearby objects.

Now that we have some strategies to combat eye strain, let’s look at the different activities you can do during your vision breaks.

Activities for Vision Breaks

Now, onto the activities. It’s important to choose actions that genuinely give your eyes a rest, rather than switching from one visually demanding task to another.

Good Ideas:

• Listening to Music: This can be incredibly relaxing and requires no visual engagement. This is highly recommended for those of you with an Echo Dot, as you can just request the next song verbally. Alternatively, you can create playlists prior to your break so that you don’t have to search for songs.

• Interacting with Pets: Spending time with your pets can be a soothing activity that takes your mind off work without straining your eyes. You’re still looking at something, but this helps you get away from screens and engage in a calming activity. If they are nearby, their presence is difficult to overlook, thus enabling you to take shorter, yet more frequent breaks from the screen.
• Silent Meditation:– Taking vision breaks doesn’t necessarily require engaging in physical activities; silent meditation or quiet planning can be equally soothing, helping to rejuvenate the eyes. Opting for moments of silence is beneficial, yet incorporating calming music or audio tracks can enhance the experience by drowning out background noise.
• Using an Eye Pillow: Bringing an eye pillow home is an excellent idea for unwinding after class or work, especially for those who struggle to disconnect from screens. It’s perfect for relaxing after tasks that require intense visual focus, as it promotes keeping your eyes shut and offers a soothing experience through its weighted pressure or cooling materials. For a similar calming effect, a cool washcloth can also be effective.

Not So Great Ideas:

• Scrolling Through Social Media: You might believe that scrolling through your “For You” page is gentler on the eyes compared to work-related screen time. However, this is not the case. In reality, this practice can worsen eye strain. Simply switching from one screen to another often intensifies the discomfort rather than alleviating it.
• Reading a Book:– It might seem self-evident, but another tactic we tried turned out to be less effective than anticipated. Although reading on an eReader’s paper-style display, which lacks a backlight, is less taxing on the eyes compared to a traditional screen, taking a complete break from reading proves to be more beneficial than merely transitioning between devices.

• Taking a Set Amount of Vision Breaks Daily: Don’t confine yourself to a fixed number of vision breaks daily, as your needs may vary. Several factors can influence the frequency of necessary vision breaks, including:
  • Changes in vision clarity
  • Your environment (e.g., exposure to intense light)
  • Levels of pain
  • Fatigue or poor sleep quality from the previous night
  • Environmental lighting conditions
  • Routine disruptions like fire alarms or unexpected flashing lights, which may require additional time for your eyes to recover
  • Stress levels

Adjust your vision breaks accordingly to accommodate these variables for optimal eye health and comfort.

Conclusion

Taking regular vision breaks is crucial for anyone who spends a lot of time focusing on screens or other visually intensive tasks. By incorporating these strategies and activities into your routine, you can help prevent eye fatigue, maintain productivity, and protect your eye health in the long term. Remember, the goal is to rest your eyes genuinely, so choose activities that allow you to relax and rejuvenate.